Someone Save Me
by EvilQueenRegina
Summary: Cora has been killed and Regina goes into a deep depression. Henry is worried about his mother and when Regina takes a near fatal action Emma is dragged into the situation to help. Will Henry and Emma be the ones to save Regina? Warning for attempt of suicide SWAN QUEEN
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:**

 **So this story has been buzzing in my head since I re watched season 2 of OUAT. Particularly episode 17 I am sure it is, the aftermath of Cora's death and it got me to thinking. So...**

 **Summary**

 **Cora has been killed and Regina goes into a deep depression. Henry is worried about his mother and when Regina takes a near fatal action Emma is dragged into the situation to help. Will Henry and Emma be the ones to save Regina?**

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 **Chapter 1**

It had been three weeks. Three weeks since she had been tricked into killing her mother. Three weeks since she had been left all alone. There was no one around for her anymore. Her father dead, her mother dead and Henry, well Henry had his other family now. His Charming family. He didn't need her anymore. Didn't want her anymore.

She stared into the mirror hating the person she saw before her. All she saw was weakness. Mother would be so disappointed. All her strength had disappeared. It was nowhere to be found. She was losing the will to find it, losing he will to be around, losing the will to live.

No one would notice if she disappeared. In fact even if they did notice she was pretty sure that they would all be quite happy about her disappearing. She glanced down at the pill bottle and her glass of wine. It was a simple task really. All she needed to do was swallow the pills, with help of the wine and then it would all be over. She wouldn't be alone anymore, her nightmare of a life would be done.

She picked up the pill bottle and emptied the contents into her hand. She had talked herself well into this plan. Had told herself it was for the best. She had done all she could with her life. There was nothing left for her now. Henry would be better off without her. All she done was ruin things for him. He couldn't trust her, didn't want her around, didn't need her around. He had Emma now and the whole Charming family to care for him. No he did not need her and she really wondered if he would miss her.

She doubted anyone would really miss her. Like she thought before her disappearance would go unnoticed.

Henry had spent the last three weeks devising a plan. He had spent most days thinking about his mother. Not his blonde mother but his other mother. He, although he never said so, had missed her…a lot! When he experienced nightmares throughout the three weeks Emma had done the best she could to comfort him but it didn't quite feel right. He needed his mother, he wanted his mother.

She knew how to comfort him when he was sick, when he was scared and when he was hurt. She knew the differences and although he didn't hold it against Emma for not knowing he craved the comfort from his other mother. So he devised a plan. His grandmother seemed to be getting back on her feet after the defeat of Cora and he hoped perhaps with his help he could reunite his family together and bring his mother back into his life.

He knew that she wanted to change for him and he knew with a little help she would be able to. He trusted that she would put to rest her evil tendencies for him. He had tried calling her but she hadn't answered which was extremely unlike her. She always answered to his call, no matter what. So he made his way down the familiar path of Mifflin Street and towards house 108 where he had grown up.

He opened the black iron gate and walked up the path with a slight frown on his face. Something didn't feel right. It was too quiet, too…he couldn't think of the word. It just didn't feel right. Something was off. Stepping up onto the porch and over to the big white door he lifted his hand and tried the handle, finding the door locked he sighed and knocked heavily.

Quietness continued so he knocked again. Once again no movement could be heard. His frown grew and he walked over to one of the windows peering into the house. It looked empty but none had seen his mother for weeks. Not since Cora had died. He walked back over to the door and knocked for a third time. "Mom!" Henry shouted. "Mom! Open the door!"

No answer came and Henry started to get worried. Of course what he didn't know was a matter of minutes before he had arrived Regina had taken a fatal step.

He stepped away from the front door and lifted up the doormat picking up the key hidden there. He unlocked the door and pushed it open finding the house eerily quiet. Closing the door behind him and making his way further into the house, looking around him. He saw his mother's hand bag by the small table in the hall and her car keys resting upon it.

"Mom!" He shouted again continuing to walk around the house. He began to climb the stairs not quite sure what to think. Something definitely wasn't right. His mother would have answered him by now, but she didn't appear to be out of the house if her keys and bag were anything to go by. He wandered down the hall and towards her bedroom. "Mom are you in here?" Henry asked a little softer as he pushed the door open.

He walked further into the room and the light from the ensuite bathroom caught his eye. Turning on his heel he wandered over "Mom?" He called as he pushed the door open. He was not prepared for the sight before him. There was Regina, his mother lying on the floor, a glass shattered beside her along with red wine staining the floor like blood.

"Mom!" Henry shouted as he ran towards her. He fell to his knees and rolled her round, shaking her shoulders in the vain hope that she would wake up. "Mom wake up! Wake up!"

She didn't wake up, she just continued to look lifeless while Henry tried his hardest to shake her awake.

Emma picked up her take away coffee bidding Granny and Ruby a goodbye as she walked out of Grannies diner. It had been a quiet three weeks and she had been glad for it. A bit of peace after the whole Cora business. She walked down the street, sipping her coffee, nodding politely at people who walked past her.

Her phone started buzzing in her pocket and she stuffed her hand in to grab it and pull it out. Looking down the at the screen she saw Henry's name appear on the caller ID. Pressing the green button she pressed it to her ear wondering what the boy could want. "Hey kid, why are you phoning me when you are meant to be at school?" Emma asked with a slight smirk on her face.

She had learnt early on that Henry had a thing for trouble and perhaps not always strictly following the rule, taking after her quite clearly and she had to admit that she liked that he did take after her in some ways.

 _"I need your help Emma. Something bad has happened and I don't know what to do."_ Came Henry's worried voice down the phone.

Emma's smirk disappeared and was replaced with a frown when she heard the worry in Henry's voice. "Henry what's wrong? What's happened?" Emma questioned stopping in her tracks for a moment. Had she jinxed things this morning by thinking things were nice and peaceful?

 _"It's my mom Emma. I don't know what's wrong with her…she won't wake up…"_ Henry said down the phone and Emma could tell he was crying now. _"I can't wake her up Emma, I don't know what to do."_

"Erm…Alright kid just stay where you are. I'll be right there okay…" Emma said. She hung up the phone, chucking her coffee in the bin she ran over to her bug and jumped in. Turning on the ignition she was quick to drive away and make her way towards Mifflin street. There were many scenarios running around in her mind but none of them prepared her for what she was about to see.

It took her no time at all to park outside of Regina's house. She had all but jumped out of the car and raced down the pathway of Regina's house, bursting in and calling out for Henry. She heard Henry calling back to her and she raced up the stairs and towards Regina's bedroom. As she entered the bedroom a feeling of dread took over her. She walked over to the ensuite and peered in to see Henry knelt beside a lifeless looking Regina. "Henry what's happened?" Emma asked as she walked over to mother and son and knelt down.

"I…I don't know…I just found her like this…" Henry sobbed as he held onto his brunette mother. He held up an orange pill bottle and handed it to Emma. "I found this beside her…"

Emma took it from Henry and gasped when she looked at it. she then looked down at Regina and then the shattered glass and spilled red wine on the floor and her mind was working on overdrive piecing it all together. She then darted to her feet. "Henry move." Emma said gently pushing Henry away from Regina. "We need to get her to hospital." Emma said as she lifted Regina up, her body light and weightless in her arms which made Emma's worry for the woman increase more and more as each second passed.

She was quick to walk out of the room with Henry following her and they walked out of the house and over to Emma's bug. She placed Regina in and motioned for Henry to get in quickly before she sped off towards the hospital. "Is she going to be okay?" Henry asked.

Emma glanced over at Henry and noticed that he looked every bit the innocent little boy that he should do. She glanced back at Regina through the rear view mirror and sighed. "I hope so kid. I hope so."

She parked up outside of the hospital and was quick to get out of the car and lift Regina out. She and Henry raced into the hospital. "Help. We need help over here!" Emma shouted.

"What's going on?" Doctor Whale asked as he approached them, glancing down at Regina.

"I think…" Emma started but stopped for a minute glancing over to Henry. She wasn't sure what Henry thought was going on, whether he knew exactly what Regina had done or not. "She has taken some pills…You need to help her."

"I don't _need_ to help _her._ " Whale replied.

"No you _do_ need to help her. I don't care what you feel she has done to you in the past this is not your time to take your revenge on her! There is a boy here who loves and needs this woman around so you _will_ help her or so help me god I will make you regret not doing so!" Emma said firmly.

Whale stared at Emma for a moment before nodding his head and gathering a team and a gurney to place Regina on. Regina was wheeled off with Emma and Henry staring after her both hoping that she would survive whatever had happened to her.

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 **Authors Note:**

 **So what do we think? Continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so glad to have some following, favoring and some reviews for this story. I was nervous about putting it up at first. SO thank you. Anyway here is the next chapter. I hopefully will get the next one up for you soon.**

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Emma paced up and down the waiting room while Henry was sat on one of the chairs staring down at the floor. Mary-Margaret and David had appeared after Emma had phoned them to let them know what had happened and were now sat on either side of Henry. Emma ran her hands through her hair and looked down the hospital corridor for what felt like the hundredth time just wanting to know if Regina was okay.

Sure they weren't exactly on the best of terms right now. Regina had teamed up with her mother to kill them all but Emma could see, even then, Regina was just desperate for someone to believe in her and Emma had been, at least before Archie's 'death'. The stunt from Cora had effectively ruined ay progress Regina and herself had made in their relationship and Emma hated that she jumped straight to believing Regina was the killer, that Regina had gone back to her evil ways.

Deep down Emma had been blaming herself for Regina going back to her mother. She just hoped she wasn't too late to fix everything. She was the saviour after all and she suspected Regina right now needed all the saving she could get.

She stopped pacing as she saw Doctor Whale approaching them. Mary-Margaret and David stood up, as well as Henry who had stood beside Emma, holding onto her hand tightly. "How is she?" Emma asked the question they all wanted to know.

"She will live." Doctor Whale said and they all let out a breath of relief. "We have pumped her stomach and have managed to stabilize her. She's lucky you brought her in when you did really…I think if it had been any longer then we wouldn't have been able to save her."

"But she's going to be okay?" Henry asked worriedly.

Doctor Whale nodded her head. "Yes she will be alright Henry." He replied.

"Kid why don't you go with Mary-Margaret and David and go get something for your mom? A teddy or flowers or something." Emma suggested digging her hands into her pockets and bringing out some money and handing it to Henry.

"But I want to see mom…" Henry started.

"I know kid but it'd be nice if you had something for her…Right?" Emma said looking over at her parents silently asking for help.

"OH…right yea. It would Henry. Come on we will go look for something." Mary-Margaret said, stepping forward and wrapping her arm around Henry's shoulders.

"Okay…" Henry sighed and let Mary-Margaret and David guide him away.

Emma waited until they were all far enough away before she turned back round to Doctor Whale. "Alright so how is she really?" Emma asked firmly.

"Everything I said when Henry was here is true. She is stable and alive. She will be fine." Doctor Whale confirmed.

"Okay…but the reason behind the…her taking the pills…" Emma stuttered a little. She found it hard to believe that Regina would try to kill herself. She had always seen Regina as a strong woman. She had never seen her as someone to do this to herself.

"Well to get to the bottom of that I guess a psychiatric evaluation could be done…" Doctor Whale said. "Why don't you follow me towards her room…" Doctor Whale said motioning for Emma to follow him. "I presume you want to see her? Being the one who saved her."

Emma nodded and she followed Whale. "A psychiatric evaluation?" Emma asked as they started to walk down the corridor.

"Yes…Perhaps asking Doctor Hopper to come in and speak with her and getting to the bottom of why she has done what she has." Doctor Whale explained.

"I think it's obvious why she done it…" Emma murmured quietly as they stopped outside the room in which Regina lay resting. Emma looked through the window, seeing Regina looking lifeless on the bed in the room. "She was forgotten, put to the backs of everyone's minds." Emma said a little louder. "She lost everyone she had and no one tried to help or comfort her."

"And do you blame anyone for not doing so? After all she has done to the people in this town." Doctor Whale replied.

"I am sure you have also done things you are not proud of in the past Whale. We all have and we need to all remember this before we judge others. Yes Regina may have done many bad things in the past but she tried to turn good and everyone ignored that at the first sign of something bad happening, including me and we blamed her for it." Emma said. "Perhaps we are all to blame for the state she is in now."

"Well I won't be blaming myself…" Doctor Whale replied. "I suggest if you do not want this to happen again that she is not left by herself for a while. If she has tried this once it is quite likely she will do again. She should probably, like I said speak to Doctor Hopper and get to the bottom of what is going on in her head. I suggest she stay in here tonight so we can keep an eye on her. We can see how she is tomorrow." He then turned on his heel and walked away.

Emma watched him for a moment. She really couldn't stand that man. She sighed and she walked into the hospital room that was filled with beeping machines. She slowly walked over to the bed and looked down at a pale looking Regina. it was then that Emma noticed just how down and beaten Regina really looked. She could tell Regina really had lost quite a bit of weight, not that the queen was ever big in the first place which made it worse somehow. There were bags under her eyes indicating the little sleep Regina must have had over the last three weeks. Emma knew Regina was going to need help but the question was, would Regina accept the help if it was offered to her? The answer Emma already knew, probably not but Emma wasn't going to let Regina push her away. She was going to give Regina the help she needed even if she didn't want it.

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Henry had been and now was gone after much persuasion from Emma, Mary-Margaret and David to go home and get some rest. Emma had promised Henry she would stay by his mother's side and would make sure she was okay and had also promised she would let him know once she woke up. So there she was sat on the chair beside Regina's bed and she was thinking, just thinking. Thinking about the day they had all had, the worry she had felt and what they were going to do next.

Emma had decided perhaps she and Henry should both stay at the mansion for a bit, Emma taking Doctor Whale's advice to not leave Regina alone for a bit. She knew Regina wouldn't like it but it would just have to be tough. She sighed and pushed herself up and out of the seat stretching all her muscles. She glanced round, catching movement out the corner out of her eye and saw Regina's hand twitch a little. She moved closer to the bed to see Regina's eyes begin to flutter open and she smiled a little glad to see the woman beginning to wake up.

She stayed quiet letting Regina waken up and gather her senses. She watched Regina open her eyes and look around in confusion before her eyes landed on Emma. Emma expected a glare from the queen but only got a confused look, Regina's eyes looking awfully empty. "Wha…what happened?" Regina croaked out, her voice hoarse.

"Henry found you unconscious at your house. He phoned me and we brought you here." Emma explained simply. "Do you remember what you did?" Emma asked.

Regina stared at Emma for a moment before nodding her head slowly. Emma hated the look in Regina's eyes. She looked lost, hurt and slightly scared. Regina's guard was down and it didn't feel right. This wasn't the woman that Emma knew. Emma reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the empty orange pill bottle and held it up for Regina to see before she placed it down on the bedside table. Regina closed her eyes for a moment before swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat and opening her eyes up again, tears forming in them. "Does Henry know?" She whispered scared to know the answer.

"He is the one who found the bottle." Emma confirmed and she watched as Regina's breath hitched. "Why Regina? Why did you do it?"

Regina stared up at the ceiling thinking of the answer to the question Emma had just asked her. Why? Why did she feel the need to not be a part of this world? To not be breathing anymore? "I lost everything…" Regina whispered not taking her eyes off the ceiling, a tear falling down her cheek and splashing down onto the crisp white hospital bedding. Her guard was down for now, but for how long would it stay down?

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Henry lay down in his bed of the loft staring up at the ceiling above him. He couldn't sleep, his worry for his mother taking over him. He pushed himself up, rubbing his eyes. He slid out of bed and over to the box at the bottom of his bed. He opened it deciding to get a comic and hopefully reading that would help him drift off but he frowned when he saw a white envelope on top of his comic books.

He reached in and picked up the envelope and turned it over seeing his mother's neat writing on the front. _Henry._ He stood up and walked back over to the bed staring down at the envelope and running his finger over his mothers writing. Sitting down on the bed her turned it over and ripped open the envelope and pulling out the letter.

He opened the letter and sat back on his pillows reading his mother's neat writing…

 _Henry,_

 _I am sorry. I'm not sure if I have said that enough to you. I know I have told you this before but I don't know how to love very well…but you, you brought it out of me. I love you very much Henry and I want you to know that and always remember that no matter what my love for you has always been there._

 _I told you once that I wanted to redeem myself and Henry I really did. I wanted to prove to you that I could be good again but I was too weak and I let the darkness take over me once more pushing you away from me once more. I am so sorry that I let this happen. I wish I could take it back._

 _Just know that I will always love you my little prince._

 _Goodbye Henry. x_

Henry placed the letter on his lap and just continued to stare down at it. He had never imagined his mother becoming so desperate and down that she would do this. He was going to make it his mission to help her, help her become the strong woman she once was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's another chapter. I hope you are all enjoying this story so far!**

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Emma awoke, her muscles aching, her neck feeling stiff and still feeling extremely tired. She stretched out, letting out a yawn as she opened her eyes. A beeping round filled her ears once more and she took in the site of the hospital room she was in and her eyes landed on Regina who was lying in the bed. Emma pushed herself up from the chair and walked over to the bed seeing Regina was awake.

Regina had not done much talking once she had awoken the night before. She had shut Emma down quickly and Emma had decided not to push her too much. "How are you feeling?" Emma asked softly breaking through the silence and placing her hand on top of Regina's. Regina moved her hand away from Emma and turned her head to look out of the window in the room. She remained silent. Emma sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She was about to say something else when a nurse came into the room.

"I'm just here to check Miss Mill's over…" The nurse explained as she made her way around the machines.

"Okay…I'm just going to pop out to use the phone. I won't be a moment." Emma said. Regina didn't reply but the nurse smiled at her. Emma sighed again before making her way out of the room. She leaned against the wall and pulled out her phone scrolling down until she got to David's number and pressed call.

 _"Hello…Emma."_ David answered.

"Hi dad. How's the kid?" Emma asked glancing into Regina's room, seeing the nurse still at work and Regina just staring out of the window.

 _"He's okay…hasn't said much really. I think he is just desperate to see Regina."_ David replied. Emma nodded her head even though she knew David wouldn't be able to see her. _"How is she?"_ He asked.

"Not good." Emma replied simply. "Well…physically I guess she is alright but mentally I'm not so sure. Doctor Whale mentioned something about a psychiatric evaluation to you know…see why she done what she did and what is going on in her head but I have a feeling Regina isn't going to be so willing in anything like that. I don't think she wants to talk. Whale said he doesn't think it is a good idea for her to be left alone at all just now. That is she is then she may try to do it again." Emma explained glancing back into the hospital room.

 _"So what does that mean? Is she staying in the hospital?"_ David asked.

Emma gave a slight nod as Doctor Whale walked past her and into Regina's room. She glanced back in to see Whale checking over everything the nurse had and talking to the nurse. "I'm not sure. Whale is in Regina's room just now I presume to see if she can be let out or not. I think he wants her out of the hospital as quick as he can get her."

 _"So what will happen when she is out of the hospital?"_ David questioned.

"I'm not sure. I need to figure that out. Listen I need to go I will call you later." Emma said quickly, hanging up not even giving David a chance to reply. She walked back into the hospital room, stuffing her phone back into her pocket.

"Ah Miss Swan. I was just informing Regina that Doctor Hopper is coming in to talk to her." Doctor Whale said as Emma walked over to Regina's bed.

"And I was just informing Doctor Whale that I won't be talking to the bug." Regina threw in sarcastically her arms folded over her chest and a scowl on her face.

At least there was a bit of the Regina Emma knew. A bit of the fire was perhaps still in her. "Regina it might be a good thing to talk to Doctor Hopper. Find out why you did what you did." Emma said trying to reason with Regina.

"I know why I did what I did _Miss Swan._ " Regina threw back. "I do not need to talk to someone about why I did it. I want out of here. When can I leave?" Regina asked directing her question to Doctor Whale.

"Once you have spoken to Doctor Hopper. After your talk we will arrange the conditions of you leaving." Doctor Whale explained.

"Conditions? What do you mean conditions?" Regina asked frown firmly on her face.

"Regina you tried to commit suicide." Whale replied bluntly. "We are not just going to let you leave the hospital. Now you will talk to Doctor Hopper and then we will discuss you leaving. That is my final say on the matter." Doctor Whale said before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

Regina glared after him and then let her head fall back on the pillow once he had left. She didn't want to talk to anyone about what had happened or why she had done what she did. She just wanted to go home. To be away from this place and these people. She just wanted to go away. To leave.

"Regina…" Emma said breaking through Regina's thoughts. "Doctor Hopper could really help you."

"I don't need any help." Regina muttered.

"I beg to differ." Emma snapped folding her arms over her chest. "Something is wrong with you Regina. You tried to take your own life and you tell me you don't need help. I saved you."

"Did it ever occur to you Miss Swan that I didn't want anyone to save me?" Regina snapped back to Emma, tears in her eyes. "I didn't take those pills so I would still be sitting here now talking to you. I took them so I would no longer be in this damn world. I never asked you to save me, you took it upon yourself to save me."

"What and would you rather I had just left you to die?" Emma asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Regina replied exasperated. "Yes I would."

Emma for once had no idea what to say back to Regina. She wasn't sure what answer she had expected from Regina if she was honest but it still stunned her to hear that Regina really would have rather been dead right at that moment. "Well I couldn't do that…" Emma finally replied looking anywhere but at Regina.

"No of course you couldn't. Once again someone other than myself has decided my fate. Just because you are the saviour does not make you my saviour Miss Swan." Regina said.

Emma sighed and ran her fingers through her hair and paced for a minute. She was beginning to get frustrated and annoyed. "Listen Regina I may have decided your fate for you but I could not let you die and do you know why I couldn't let you die?" Emma asked. Regina just stared out of the window and Emma wondered for a minute if she was actually listening to her but she continued anyway. "I couldn't let you die because of Henry. Henry would never forgive me if I let you die. Despite everything he has said and done to you he does love you Regina and he wants you around. You may not think it but he does."

"He saw me…" Regina whispered in more of a statement than a question. Emma had already told her that Henry had found her.

"Yes. He found you." Emma replied simply.

"Is he okay?" Regina asked still continuing to stare out the window not wanting to look Emma in the eye.

"He is worried about you. He wants to see you but I'm not so sure if him seeing you in here is a good idea. That is why you need to speak to Doctor Hopper. You do that the you will get out of here and then Henry can see you. There will be conditions of you leaving the hospital but if you want out of here then you are going to have to accept them." Emma said trying a firm hand with Regina. She knew Regina had just been through hell but she didn't know how to deal with the situation and she thought perhaps Regina would react better if Emma was firm with her.

Regina just sat in silence for a moment. She thought about what Emma had said. Henry wanted to see her. He wanted to make sure she was okay. Was that enough to hold on to? She still felt as if she didn't want to be here, and it wasn't just the hospital she didn't want to be in. It was this town, this world.

"So what do you say Regina?" Emma asked breaking through Regina's thoughts. "For Henry?"

Regina for the first time that morning turned and actually looked Emma in the eyes and Emma saw the empty look in her eyes which scared her. Regina gave a slight nod of her head and said in a quiet voice. "For Henry."


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is a new chapter for you all. Just want to give a thanks to all those who have followed, favourited and left a review so far. It means a lot to me.**

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Archie Hopper sat in the hospital room looking at the broken woman in the bed. Regina just stared out of the window, her hands in her lap. She let out a loud and long sigh and bit her lip. Archie shifted himself in the chair slightly and crossed one leg over the other, leaning on the arm of the chair a little more. His pen tapped on the edge of the chair and Regina closed her eyes the noise really beginning to annoy her.

"Will you stop that!" Regina snapped finally looking over to Archie giving him the reaction he had wanted.

"I knew you would finally react." Archie said with a smile.

Regina rolled her eyes and her gaze fell back onto the window. She felt like she was spending every hour of the day looking out of the window in her hospital room. She just wanted to be out of this place. "The noise was annoying me." Regina replied quietly.

"Well perhaps we should talk instead." Archie said.

"What's the point." Regina sighed.

"The point is that talking could perhaps help you to get better Regina. Talking to someone and letting out all of your troubles can help. Keeping things bottled up and to yourself doesn't help." Archie said.

"I don't have anything to talk about." Regina shot back and looked over to Archie. Her eyes were dark and empty. He couldn't see much of Regina any more. It was as if it were just an empty shell of Regina sitting in the bed. "Why do you even care? I am the Evil Queen. Why should you want to help me get better?"

"You have been trying hard to redeem yourself Regina. You haven't been the Evil Queen in quite some time. You have people that care about you and want you to get better." Archie said.

"They don't care about me. They just want to make sure I don't try to kill their precious Mary-Margaret." Regina said bitterly. "They want to make sure I don't take my revenge."

"And will you take your revenge? Will you let yourself go down that evil path again Regina? After everything you have been through, everything you have done, everything you promised to Henry." Archie replied.

Regina could feel tears threatening to well up in her eyes but she swallowed them back. She didn't want to show her weakness. Her mother was right. Love is weakness. Her love for Henry had made her weak. But her love for her son was too strong to ignore. It was too deep. "No…" Regina whispered and a tear escaped from her.

"So will you accept help from the people around you?" Archie asked.

"I don't need help. I am fine." Regina replied.

"I'm not so sure of that Regina and I think deep down neither are you." Archie said. "Whatever you may think there are people around you that want to help you."

* * *

Archie walked out of the hospital room to be greeted by Emma and Doctor Whale. Emma stood up from the chair she had been sitting in and walked towards him. "How is she?" Emma asked. "Did she talk to you?"

"Not quite." Archie said. "She still says she doesn't need help, tells me she is fine but I'm not so sure. She is keeping whatever issues she has close to her chest."

"Do you think…I mean will she try to…you know…again?" Emma asked, falling over her words.

"I'm not sure. It is a possibility. When you get yourself into that place it can be hard to break away from it. It is possible that she may try to take her own life again but if we help her and with a bit of hope we may be able to help her out of the dark place she has put herself in." Archie replied.

"So for her to leave the hospital what are you suggesting?" Emma asked.

"I would suggest that she not be alone. She will need constant supervision for a while until we are certain she is on the road to recovery. I would also suggest weekly sessions with me at my office to try and get her to open up, to let go of everything she is holding onto." Archie said.

Emma nodded her head and then ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. She turned to Doctor Whale. "Okay if you prepare her release papers and I am going to go in there and talk to Regina and let her know what is going to happen."

"And what makes you think she will agree to whatever you have planned?" Doctor Whale said doubtfully. He didn't think the Evil Queen was about to accept any help from the towns saviour.

"It doesn't matter whether she does or not. I am not about to let her self destruct. So go and get Regina's release papers and I will go and talk to her." Emma said firmly, turning on her heel and heading in to Regina's hospital room. Emma looked at Regina for a moment, studying the older woman. She knew the nicely nicely approach was not going to work with Regina at the minute. No she needed a firmer approach with Regina. So she took a deep breath before continuing her walk into the room, holding her head up high and trying to make herself look confident in what she was about to do and say. "Right Regina Doctor Whale is organising your release papers…" Emma started as she walked over to a bag she had got her father to bring in from Regina's with some clothes. "And you are going to get yourself dressed while he does that." Emma said placing the bag on the bed beside Regina.

Regina looked over at Emma, eyebrow arched. "Am I really?" She drawled out.

"Yes you are." Emma said firmly.

"So I am being let out of this dump…I can't imagine there are not any conditions that the bug has set out for my release from here so spill it…what has been decided for me now?" Regina said.

"Well you are not to be alone…for a while…" Emma started. "Doctor Hopper has suggested you have constant supervision for a while."

"Oh fabulous." Regina replied back sarcastically. "And who may I ask is volunteering for that job? I can't imagine many people are up for the job. I have a feeling many would rather just leave me to my own devices."

"I am going to watch over you." Emma said simply.

"Wonderful." Regina snapped back.

Emma rolled her eyes at the older woman. "Whether you like it or not Regina this is happening. Doctor Hopper also would like you to attend weekly sessions at his office to talk things over."

"I don't have anything to tell him." Regina said stubbornly.

"Well you will just have to think of something." Emma shrugged her shoulders. She unzipped the bag and pulled out whatever clothes that David had packed for Regina. She pulled out a pair of black slacks, a blue silk blouse and a pair of black boots as well as underwear. She placed them on Regina's lap. "Now go and get dressed." Emma ordered as she motioned over to the bathroom.

Regina let out a sigh and she shuffled off of the bed, grabbing the clothes. She walked over to the bathroom but before she entered she turned to face Emma. "I hope you don't expect me to make this easy for you Miss Swan. You will not be ordering me around."

Emma smirked. There was a bit of the Regina she knew. "Oh I would never expect you to make things easy for me Regina."

Regina's lip twitched a little, a smirk trying to fight its way onto her face. But she controlled herself and turned back round heading into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and leaned back on it for a minute. She wanted out of this place and if the only way for that to happen was to agree to these stupid conditions then she would do that. It would be easier to escape this world if she was out of this place, even if Emma Swan, the towns saviour insisted on being around her constantly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is another chapter for you all. Here we have Regina leaving the hospital and dealing with things at home. I am hoping it reflects how you think Regina would react to things. I shall leave you to read :-)**

* * *

Regina and Emma walked out of the hospital, Regina trailing after Emma feeling quite nervous of being outside around the others towns people. She had no idea why she was really nervous. She had never been nervous around them before. In fact she had quite enjoyed them avoiding her with their fear. Had made quite the game of it before…everything that had happened.

Emma walked up to her bug and opened it, chucking Regina's bag into the back of the car she then turned on her heel to face Regina who had just stopped in front of the car and was looking at it in disgust. "I am not getting in that death trap!" Regina said shaking her head.

"Well it is either this or walk Regina…and for the hundredth time my car is not a death trap." Emma sighed in irritation.

"It is." Regina mumbled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Get in the car Regina." Emma said. Regina stared Emma out for a minute. Emma really couldn't believe Regina was acting like this. She was acting like a petulant child and she was about to tell her so but then as she really looked into Regina's eyes for the first time since they had left the hospital she saw…what she could only say was fear in Regina's eyes. So she swallowed back the insult she was about to make and sighed again, running her fingers through her messy blonde locks and leaning on her car a little. "Listen Regina I know you hate my car and I know you think it is a death trap…"

"It is a death trap." Regina said in interruption.

Emma gave her a warning look and Regina rolled her eyes. "But like I said it is either you get in the car or you walk and I am guessing you probably don't want to be doing that. Not with how people in this town still seem to view you."

Regina huffed a little. She knew Emma was right and she really didn't want to walk back home. "Fine." Regina huffed and she roughly pulled the yellow bugs door open and climbed in slamming the door behind her.

"Whoa! Watch the car!" Emma said as she climbed in too.

"I really don't think I could do any more damage than is already done to this thing." Regina threw back.

"You really need to lay off insulting my car." Emma mumbled.

"Would you rather I insult you dear because I am sure I could manage that also?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

Emma knew Regina was pushing her. Pushing her to see how far she could go and to see how far Emma would let her go. But Emma just took a deep breath, started the car and drove away heading towards the mansion. The drive was relatively silent, Regina just staring out the window and Emma glancing over at her every so often.

Regina wasn't really sure if she wanted to go home. Yes she had gone on and on about leaving the hospital when she had been in there but now that she was heading home she wasn't so sure she wanted to. She was going back to the place where she had tried to kill herself. That was all she was going to see when she walked into her ensuite bathroom. It was all she was going to think about. It was all she could think about now and she wasn't even home yet. She let out a sigh as they entered Mifflin street and she watched as the houses flew past them. As they pulled up outside of the mansion Regina could see Henry standing out on the porch. She smiled a little when she saw him. She had missed him, so much.

Emma got out of the car, grabbing Regina's bag once she had and then walked around the car opening Regina's door and letting her out of the car. Regina gave a slight nod of thanks to Emma before heading towards the black iron gate leading into the pathway of 108 Mifflin Street.

"Mom!" Henry said and he ran down the porch steps, barrelling towards Regina. He wrapped his arms around her as soon as he reached her and hugged her tightly. "Are you feeling better? Are you okay?" Henry asked quickly as he looked up at her.

"Easy kid. Give your mom some time to get in and settled eh?" Emma said as she came up behind Regina.

"I just want to make sure she is okay." Henry said with a sigh.

"I'm fine Henry." Regina say with a slight smile but Henry could see straight through her. He knew she wasn't really but he chose to ignore that for now just happy to have her home and with him. They walked into the house, Henry not letting go of Regina at all and Regina not wanting him to let go. As they walked over towards the kitchen Mary-Margaret and David walked out giving Regina a smile.

"Regina how are you?" Mary-Margaret asked. Regina didn't answer. "We are glad that you are out of hospital. We will get through this Regina." Mary-Margaret said and leaned forward to place a hand on Regina's upper arm.

Regina flinched away. "We? We will not get through this. Are you really glad I am out of hospital? Or are you actually more annoyed that I didn't do a good enough job of getting rid of myself?" Regina snapped.

"Regina." Emma warned and motioned to Henry. But Regina was too far gone. Her anger towards Mary-Margaret had not left her. She didn't forgive her yet for what she had done to her mother. For what she had made her do to her mother.

"Regina…Of course that isn't how we feel. We were all very worried about you. We don't want you to feel that you have to do anything like that again." Mary-Margaret said.

"Oh stop the fake concern Mary-Margaret." Regina said accentuating Mary-Margaret's name. "After everything I have done to you and you have done to me you can at least stop faking your concern for me."

"I'm not faking any concern Regina." Mary-Margaret argued back.

"Mom I think you should go." Emma said stepping in front of Regina blocking her from Mary-Margaret. She could see if she let them continue that Regina may lose any control she had and she didn't want anything to happen, especially not in front of Henry who already looked quite upset with what was happening.

"But I…" Mary-Margaret started to argue but Emma held her hand up in front of her face.

"Please mom…I think you should go." Emma pleaded.

"Come on Mary-Margaret. Emma is right." David said placing his hand on Mary-Margaret's arm. Mary-Margaret nodded her head and she and David left. Emma walked them to the door talking in hushed tones before finally closing the door.

Regina just stood in the hall way, a scowl on her face. "I don't want her in my house." Regina snapped as Emma walked back over to them.

"Okay fine." Emma held her hands up in surrender. She didn't want to fight with Regina. She didn't have the energy for a fight. "Why don't you go and freshen up and I will make us some lunch?" Emma suggested.

"You can cook?" Regina asked raising a questioning eyebrow at Emma.

"I can make sandwiches." Emma shrugged.

"Thought as much." Regina muttered before turning on her heel and walking way from Emma and telling Henry she would be back down soon as he tried to follow after her. He was reluctant to leave her and Emma couldn't blame the kid after the last time he had found her.

"Why don't you come help me Henry? Your mom will be back down here soon." Emma said.

"Okay." Henry sighed and he followed Emma into the kitchen.

"Right you get all the ingredients we will need for the sandwiches and I will get plates." Emma said and Henry nodded his head. Emma watched as Henry slowly walked around the kitchen collecting all the various ingredients they may need for the sandwiches. She really felt sorry for the kid. She was just about to say something to him when they both jumped at hearing a scream. Emma darted out of the kitchen with Henry quickly following behind her. They ran towards Regina's bedroom to see her moving the door backwards and forwards and looking at it.

"What the hell has happened to my door?!" Regina shouted as she looked up to see Emma entering the room.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked as she walked over to Regina and then she saw it. David had removed all the locks on the doors per Emma's request and the non painted wood was showing now. "Ah…well that is another condition of you leaving the hospital…"

"What?!" Regina shouted and stepped towards Emma making Emma step backwards. "A condition you failed to tell me about. Why the hell are the locks of my doors off?"

"You are to be watched Regina…you are not to be left alone for long and I felt you having locks on the bathroom doors would not be safe so I had my father remove them all before we came here." Emma explained.

"You what?!" Regina shouted. "You cannot do that! This is MY home Miss Swan. Not yours! You cannot do things like that without telling me!"

"Well I did!" Emma shrugged and that was enough to anger Regina more. Regina could feel her anger rising, she was losing any control she had and she let her magic take over her and she sent Emma flying across the room and into the wall with a thump. "Ow…" Emma groaned as she pushed herself up a little.

Regina stalked over to Emma but Henry quickly ran over and stood in front of Regina placing his hand out and stopping her in her tracks. "Mom stop. Emma has done this to help you. Everything that is happening is to help you. Please calm down. Once you calm down you will realise that it is all to help you." Henry said, a pleading look in his eyes. "Please mom. Listen to me. Don't let your anger take over you. Come back to me." Henry said placing his hands on Regina's cheeks and making her look at him.

Once she looked at him she could feel the tears pooling in her eyes. She tried to hold it together but she knew she couldn't and within minutes she was in tears in Henry's arms, having fallen to the floor. Henry was sat beside her and holding onto her tightly, running his fingers through her soft brown hair and kissing the top of her head. "It's okay mom. I'm here. I'm going to help you through this." Henry whispered to her and it just made Regina feel worse. Henry shouldn't be seeing her like this. He shouldn't be helping her through something like this. He was too young to see any of this and it made her feel so guilty. She felt like a bad mom. She felt horrible. She felt she wasn't good enough for him but he still held onto her tightly and he still kissed the top of her head and he still whispered comforting words into her ear, calming her down and helping her through her anger.

* * *

After a while Regina's tears stopped and she wiped her eyes. She told Henry she was fine and told him she was going to clean up and then they could have lunch. Henry smiled at her but told her he was not going to leave her. Regina had no energy to argue and Emma left them to it. She prepared lunch while Regina stood in the bathroom wiping her face with Henry stood right beside her.

Henry watched his mother walking slowly around the bathroom. She didn't look like his mother. She had no regal look about her. Her posture was not as straight as usual, her head not held as high as normal. She may look like his mother on the outside but on the inside she was completely different and that scared him. He wanted to make her feel better but he had no idea how to do that. How could he make her happier? How could he fix her?

"Stop staring at me Henry. I'm fine." Regina said in a soft but irritated voice causing Henry to break out of his thoughts.

"I wasn't staring at you…" Henry responded.

Regina glanced over at him and gave him a small smirk. "When have you ever been able to lie to me?" She asked and Henry gave her a smile.

"I might have seemed to be staring at you but I was actually just thinking and it looked like I was staring at you but I wasn't actually staring at you." Henry rambled.

"You have spent far too much time with Miss Swan." Regina threw back and turned looking back into the mirror. She sighed at her appearance. She wasn't exactly up to scratch but she found she didn't really care. Why should she? "Come on. Let's go down stairs and see what mess Miss Swan has made of my kitchen." Regina said pushing away from the bathroom counter and walking past Henry.

Henry turned on his heel and quickly followed after his mother. "You know you could call her Emma…" Henry suggested. He always wondered why his mother insisted on calling Emma Miss Swan. Sometimes he really didn't understand adults and the way they were.

"I could but where would the fun be in that." Regina replied and Henry smirked a little. There seemed to be odd times where his mother would shine through. The empty shell she appeared to be disappeared and she reappeared again all sass and normal but just as quick as she appeared she disappeared again and the empty shell would return.

They entered the kitchen to see Emma placing the sandwiches on the plate. Regina looked around seeing a semi tidy kitchen. She nodded in approval before walking over to the coffee maker and starting it up. Emma looked up to see what Regina was doing and hopped over moving her arm in-between Regina and the coffee maker. "What the hell are you doing?" Regina asked in a frustrated tone.

"I can't let you do that Regina." Emma said.

"And why not Miss Swan?" Regina breathed out irritated.

"Doctor Whale recommended you not drink as much coffee as you normally do as it is not the best thing to be drinking when you are on antidepressants. The caffeine doesn't mix well or something like that." Emma explained.

"What so I am not allowed even one cup of coffee just because of those damn tablets that I do not even need?" Regina questioned her anger rising once again.

"Regina please let's not start another argument. You need those tablets so do not deny it." Emma said firmly. She then glanced up at the clock. "And talking of those damn tablets it is about time you took one." Emma pushed herself away from the counter and Regina and walked over to the island where she had put Regina's bag. She pulled out the prescription and the tablet bottle. She opened it shook out a tablet and then handed it over to Regina.

Regina looked at the tablet sitting in Emma's hand and then up into Emma's eyes. "I don't want it." Regina bit out.

"You need it." Emma threw back.

"No I do not." Regina answered.

"Yes you do." Emma argued back.

Henry sighed sensing this could go on for a while. Neither of his mothers would back down, each one as stubborn as the other. So he intervened once again stepping in front of Emma taking the tablet from her hand and holding it out to his brunette mother. "Please mom. Take you tablet. It will help you." Henry said.

Regina sighed and tried not to look at Henry. She couldn't deal with this. She didn't want to deal with this. It was ridiculous. But she relented soon enough and reached for the tablet. She popped it in her mouth throwing her head back and swallowing it without the aid of a drink. "Happy?" Regina directed to Emma before pushing past her and Henry and walking out of the room.

"Regina what about lunch?" Emma called after her.

"I'm not hungry!" Regina shouted back.

Henry was about to go after her when Emma reached out to him stopping him in his tracks. "Leave her for a moment Henry. She needs a minute."

"But what if she…" Henry started but Emma stopped him.

"She won't. I'm not going to let that happen." Emma said firmly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is a chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Emma had let half an hour pass before she decided to venture upstairs to see Regina. She had left Henry in the living room, eating his sandwich and watching TV. He had told Emma Regina wouldn't be happy if she found him eating in the living room but Emma insisted it would be fine so he shrugged and went through anyway.

Emma slowly and quietly made her way down the hallway towards Regina's room. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to say to Regina or how to approach her. They had had at least four arguments since they had left the hospital that morning and she was bracing herself for another. So she took a deep breath as she stopped outside of Regina's bedroom. She lifted her hand up and softly knocked on the door. "Regina…" Emma said.

"Go away!" Came the reply and she sighed. She had expected that but she wasn't going to just go away. She had promised Henry she would help Regina and that is what she was going to do.

So she pushed the bedroom door open and walked into the bedroom to see Regina lying in her bed, covers pulled up close to her. She was lying on her side looking away from the door. "I thought I said go away." Regina mumbled as she heard Emma's heavy footfalls walking into the bedroom.

"You did but when did I ever listen to you?" Emma threw back. Regina didn't say anything and she didn't move a muscle. She just lay there staring into space. Emma slowly walked around the bed to the other side and sat on the edge of the bed looking down at her lap and biting her lip a little as she tried to think what to say next. "So…how many tantrums are you going to throw because you're not getting what you want?" Emma asked deciding to stick with the firm approach.

"I haven't been throwing tantrums." Regina mumbled back still not looking at Emma.

"I beg to differ." Emma scoffed. Henry walked into the room at this moment and gave Emma a look. Emma rolled her eyes at him. Henry walked up to the bed and sat on the edge of the bed where Regina was, her back to him. He placed his hand on her arm but she didn't move to look at him. She knew who it was. "If Henry had acted that way you would have slaughtered him." Emma said not thinking about what she was saying.

Regina glanced up at Emma, a hurt glassy look in her eyes. "No I wouldn't have." Was all Regina said before pushing herself up on the bed and manoeuvring herself round Henry and pushing herself off of the bed.

"Emma…" Henry whispered in a hiss.

Emma had realised what she had said as soon as she saw the look Regina had given her. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Standing up from the bed. "Regina I'm sorry…"

"Save it Miss Swan." Regina threw over her shoulder as she walked into her ensuite bathroom and slammed the door behind her. It was then that she let the tears out. They slipped down her cheeks and she slipped down the door hitting the cold floor. She pulled her legs close to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees as she started to cry.

"Emma…really? Your suppose to be helping her not annoying her and upsetting her further." Henry sighed in annoyance.

"I know Henry. I know." Emma said as she sat back down on the bed. "I didn't mean to say that to her. It just came out. I wasn't thinking."

"I know you didn't but you need to try and watch what you are saying to her. You know she doesn't take things as well as others do." Henry said.

Emma nodded her head. "Okay kid. Go back downstairs I'll sort out my mess that I have made." Emma said.

"Can I trust you not to mess it up further?" Henry asked with a raised eyebrow.

Emma looked over at him and in that moment she saw Regina. All the sass in the world. She smiled a little. Regina may not have given birth to Henry but she was his mother and there was so much of her in Henry. "Yes you can trust me. Now go back downstairs." Emma said.

Henry nodded and he stood up off the bed and made his way out of the room glancing back at Emma before he left. Emma then pushed herself up off the bed and walked over to the ensuite bathroom. She leaned her forehead on the door for a moment and then knocked on the door. This time she wasn't going to take the firm approach. Whenever she did she just messed things up further. She had no idea what she was doing. "Regina…" Emma said. She received no answer and really she hadn't expected to. "I know this is all screwed up and complicated. I get that your…unhappy…" Emma started. She hadn't been sure how else to put it.

"But you can have happiness. I know it doesn't seem like it right now but you just have to…fight." Emma continued.

Regina listened to Emma on the other side of the door but she didn't move and she didn't make a sound. She cried silently and rested her head against the door. What if she couldn't fight anymore? What if she was too tired to continue to fight on? What if she just wanted it to be over?

Emma sighed and she pushed herself away from the door for a minute, turning on her heal about to leave and then shaking her head at herself and deciding she wasn't going to leave. She wasn't going to give up. Henry would never forgive her and she would never forgive herself. She was the saviour. She could save Regina. "Okay you know what if you won't fight then I will." Emma said firmly. "Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back happy endings and my job…well it's not done until I do that for everyone." Emma said. "Including you…" Emma waited for a moment but didn't hear any noise coming from the ensuite so she turned on her heel and walked over to the bed sitting down on it and staring at her lap. She decided to give Regina a moment. She knew for someone like Regina it must be hard to have someone around you constantly and telling you what you can and can't do. She understood the frustration she must be feeling.

She jumped a little when the ensuite door was opened and Regina peeked out looking over at her. She gave Regina a small smile as she opened the door a little more and walked out into the bedroom. "Why are you so sure you can give me a happy ending? What makes you think I deserve one?" Regina asked as she stared into Emma's green eyes.

"Everyone deserves a happy ending Regina and I am the saviour I'm here to get people their happy endings and I will get you yours." Emma replied confidently.

"You will get the Evil Queen her happy ending?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You're not the Evil Queen anymore Regina. You tried so hard to redeem yourself and you were until…" Emma trailed off before she mentioned Regina's mother. She wasn't sure if that was a good idea. She didn't want to push Regina away again, not when she had come out and was talking to her.

"Until my mother came to town." Regina finished for Emma. She had a sad look on her face when she mentioned her mother. Emma noted that it wasn't complete heart break by any means but still sad. She guessed with the complicated relationship she had presumed Regina had with her mother it would be hard to know what to feel.

"Yea…" Emma said quietly. "You were really showing Henry that you could change and he believed you…I believe you…and we both still do. Henry needs to Regina no matter what you might believe or think he does need you. He has already forgiven you for everything. It's just you who needs to forgive yourself Regina and let people in to help you get your happy ending."

Regina stared at Emma for a little longer before moving her hand up and running her fingers through her shoulder length brown hair. "I'm not so sure you can give me a happy ending but I will let you believe in it I guess…" Regina said. "But if I promise to try and …I don't know just try harder can you promise me that you won't hurt me…" Regina said quietly showing all her vulnerability.

Emma was surprised by this. She had never really seen Regina like this. So broken and vulnerable. She was crying out for help in her own way and it was heartbreaking for Emma to see. She knew she really needed to make this work. She needed to save this woman in front of her and she would do just that. No matter what it takes. "I promise I won't hurt you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's a little update for you. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

It was a couple of days later and things had been okay. Not fantastic by any means but not dreadful. Emma and Regina had argued but nothing like the first day which Henry was happy about. Regina had eaten but not as much as he and Emma would like and they had of course had to talk Regina into taking her pills but she did eventually take them after much pushing and persuasion, mostly from Henry as he seemed to be the only one she would listen to.

Today however was not a good day. Henry could feel it. He glanced up at the clock and it was nine in the morning. His mother was usually up by now, way before now yet she had not left her room that morning. Emma had tried to talk to her but had received a harsh 'go away!' and told to get out of the room. She did deciding it best she not push Regina if she was in that kind of mood. However it was getting closer to the time where Regina needed to take her pill and Henry didn't want her to miss it.

He pushed himself away from the table taking his bowl over t the sink. He washed it and placed it on the drainer before going to get a glass of water and the pill bottle. He turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen and over to the stairs just as Emma was walking down them. "Hey kid. Where you going?" She asked as she reached the bottom step.

"I'm going to see mom and take her pills up to her. It's about the time she should take one." Henry said.

"I'm not sure she is in the mood for visitors kid…" Emma said.

"I know but I don't want her to miss her medication. She needs it. She will let me in." Henry said firmly as he walked around Emma and started to make his way up the stairs.

"Alright but don't come to me if she pushes you out." Emma said holding her hands up.

"She won't." Henry said determinedly. He was sure he would be able to get to his mother. He usually did. So he made his way up the rest of the stairs and then down the hall towards his mothers bedroom. He knocked on the door with the hand that was holding the pill bottle and didn't wait for an answer as he pushed the bedroom door open and walked in. He kicked the door over a little and walked over to the bed.

"I said go away Miss Swan." Regina muttered not turning round in the bed.

"Well it is a good thing I am not Miss Swan then." Henry replied causing Regina to look round with a frown. "I am here to bring you your medication. It is about that time and I didn't want you to miss it. The doctor said they should help you so…" Henry said holding out the glass of water and the pill bottle.

"I don't want it Henry." Regina said quietly.

"I know you don't but you need it. Please mom I don't want to argue with you again about this. Please just take it." Henry said pleadingly. Regina sighed but she pushed herself up on the bed and took the pill bottle from Henry. She opened it and tipped a couple of pills into her hand before closing it and handing it back to Henry. She threw the pills into her mouth and took the glass of water, drinking it and throwing her head back swallowing the pills. Henry took the glass of water back off of her and placed it on the bedside table. He gave her a smile and said "Thank you mom."

Regina just gave him a slight nod before lying back down in the bed and turning back on her side. Henry frowned and walked around the bed to the other side and climbed onto it sitting crossed legged and looking at her. "Are you not going to get up? It's past nine." He said.

Regina shook her head and cuddled into her duvet cover more. "I don't feel like getting up today Henry."

"But…you seemed to be doing okay…thing's were okay weren't they? They are okay aren't they?" Henry asked with a worried look on his face.

"Things are fine Henry." Regina replied unconvincingly.

"No they're not. Your sad again." Henry said and he moved so that he was lying down on his side looking at his mother.

"You didn't expect me to be happy in a few days did you?" Regina asked in an irritated voice. She then sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't want to be like that with Henry. She knew he was only trying to help her. She just felt so tired, so sad. She didn't feel up for being saved that day. "I'm sorry Henry. I'm just not in a very good mood today."

Henry nodded and moved his hand to his mothers that was resting on the bed in the middle of them. "Well we could have a duvet day…remember like we used to when I was little. Sundays are duvet days. We can watch rubbish on TV and movies and stuff our faces all day."

"It's okay Henry. You don't need to keep me company." Regina replied.

"I might not need to but I want to mom. I want to spend the day with you." He said as he pushed himself up. "Okay I am going to go downstairs and gather some movies and some munchies. You just relax I'll be right back." Henry said as he shuffled off of the bed. He was going to cheer his mother up. That was his mission of the day.

* * *

Emma had decided to nip out if Henry was going to be spending the day with Regina. She had decided it might be nice for them to have some time alone and she made sure Henry knew to just phone her if he needed her. She would be back later that day anyway.

Henry had collected some movies and some munchies and had snuggled up in his mothers bed. He had always loved his mothers bed. It was the comfiest bed ever. The first movie had finished and he groaned as he knew he was going to have to get up to change the DVD. He pushed himself out of the covers and crawled over to the end of the bed, jumping off and going over to the TV.

"What are we going to watch now?" Regina asked.

"Erm…well we have quite a few choices." Henry said. "We have 'The Lion King', 'Superman', 'Spiderman', 'The Batman' series of movies or we have 'The Exorcist'." Henry said with a shrug.

"'The Exorcist'? Where did you get that? I am pretty sure that was not in our DVD collection." Regina said.

"I think it is Emma's. It looked interesting from the cover." Henry said innocently.

"Yes well we won't be watching that one Henry. I don't think you are old enough for that." Regina replied.

"Fair enough." Henry said and chucked the DVD to the side. "So 'Spiderman'?"

"If that is what you want dear." Regina said and then let out a small yawn trying to hide it from Henry.

"You know you can sleep if you want to." Henry said as he crawled back up the bed and climbed under the big thick duvet again. "I won't hold it against you."

Regina gave him a small smile. "Thank you Henry but I am fine."

"Sure," Henry muttered with a small smirk.

Within ten minutes into the film Henry looked to the side to see his mother fast asleep. He knew she had been tired and he was glad she was getting some rest. He hoped it helped her and hopefully would help to lift her spirits a little. He wasn't stupid he knew she wouldn't get better overnight but he was still desperate to see some sort of good change in his mother. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

He grabbed the popcorn he had got Emma to make before she left and started to dig in as he turned his attention back to the movie. Another twenty minutes later and his attention was taken away from the movie when he heard Regina moaning a little in her sleep. She tossed herself around and Henry frowned. Whatever she was dreaming about it didn't sound nice. He wondered if he should wake her up? He didn't want her to experience a bad dream. He didn't want her to end up even more unhappy because of a nightmare.

"No…please don't…" Regina whined out and Henry made a split decision to wake her up. He placed a hand on her arm and shook her.

"Mom? Mom wake up!" He said loudly continuing to shake her.

"No…stop it! Please don't…" Regina moaned out and Henry continued to shake her and call to her loudly. She woke up, letting out a gasp and shot up in the bed.

"Mom are you okay? You were having a nightmare." Henry said as he leaned closer to her.

"I…I…" Regina stuttered not sure what to say. She had been having a horrible nightmare. She had been experiencing her first night with King Leopold all over again. His hands roaming her body, his mouth on her skin. He might have been a kind King but he took what he wanted from her, what he expected from her. He didn't stop when she asked him to, pleaded with him to. He told her to 'shh' when she started to cry from the pain. He told her to hold still and it would all be over. If she just stayed still then it wouldn't be so sore. That is what he had told her time and time again. Her dream had been more like a memory. It was exactly the same as the night she had experienced and it had felt so real all over again. She felt as if she could still feel Leopold's hands and mouth all over her and that made her sick to her stomach.

She closed her eyes and tried to breathe through the feeling but she could feel her stomach churning and she knew there was no stopping it. She pushed the duvet off of her and darted from the bed and over towards the ensuite leaving a confused Henry in her wake. She dropped to the floor in front of the toilet and emptied the contents of her stomach.

Henry wasn't sure whether to go to her or not. He wasn't quite sure what she had been dreaming about but whatever it was it had really affected her. He got out of the bed and slowly walked over towards the ensuite still hearing his mother retching. He knocked on the slightly open door lightly. "Mom? Are you okay?" Henry asked.

"I'm…fine Henry…" Regina said in between retches. "I'll be out…in a…minute."

Henry nodded although his mother couldn't see him and he slowly walked back over to the bed. He sat on the edge and waited as he heard the toilet flush and then the taps turn on. He waited as the taps turned off and Regina finally appeared back in the bedroom looking paler than she had before, a hand resting on her stomach. "Are you okay?" Henry asked again. He wasn't sure what else to say.

Regina nodded her head. "I'm fine. I'm not sure what happened." Regina lied. She didn't want Henry to know. He didn't need to know. He already knew too much. She wanted to keep him innocent. He should be innocent. Too much of his innocence had been taken from him so this lie wouldn't do any harm.

"You had a nightmare…" Henry stated.

"I don't really remember it." Regina replied quickly as she climbed back into the bed. "Now come on what have I missed of the movie." Regina asked changing the subject to try and distract Henry.

It worked just as she knew it would and Henry started to explain the plot of the movie and what she had missed even though she had watched the movie a hundred times before with him. She just wanted to keep him distracted. He didn't need to know what was going on in her head at the moment. She wished she didn't know.


	8. Chapter 8

**I do apologise for the delay in updating but with Christmas and all things have been quite busy. I hope everyone has had a good Christmas and was spoilt by Santa!**

* * *

A week had passed and Regina seemed to be distancing herself more and more. Henry was the only one she would talk to. Emma had found herself sending messages to Regina through Henry. Henry despite his young age was the one caring for Regina the most. He would be the one to take Regina her medication. He would be the one to take food to Regina even though most of the time she never ate the food claiming she was not hungry.

Today however Emma had sent Henry to school. She didn't want him missing anymore school and she knew it was something Regina wouldn't have liked. So she sent him off with David to go to school and she would stay home and look after Regina. She was expecting it to be a long awkward day of no conversation. She wandered upstairs after making some breakfast. She had prepared a tray with some toast for Regina, a glass of orange juice and her medication. She hoped Regina wouldn't fight her on this.

She pushed her way into Regina's bedroom to see her still in bed asleep. She walked over and placed the tray down on the vanity table and turned round just as she heard Regina whimper in her sleep. "No…mother please don't!"

Emma frowned and stepped forward a little as Regina continued to whimper. Regina moved a little in the bed and Emma could see her face more. She looked scared and sad. She looked so small and vulnerable. "Mother no…please. I'll be good…" Regina whimpered out and Emma wasn't sure what was going on in Regina's mind but whatever it was it wasn't good. So she leaned over placing her hand on Regina's shoulder and shook her a little to try and wake her up.

"Regina wake up." She called loudly.

"I'll be good mother. Please stop hurting me." Regina whimpered and Emma shook her a little harder and called out to her again. This time it was enough for Regina to wake up with a gasp and she waved her hand in an attempt to use magic to stop whoever it was near her from hurting her. However her magic never came and she cried out as if her magic backfired on her and caused a great amount of pain to shoot up her arm.

"Regina are you okay?" Emma asked. She shuffled on her feet a little not sure whether she should step towards Regina or not. The older woman looked scared and she didn't want to scare her even more.

Regina just stared down at her arm as the pain continued to shoot up and down. She tried to rid her head of the nightmare she had just experienced but it wouldn't leave her head. Once again the nightmare was more like a memory and she could feel everything in the dream as if it were happening all over again. As if it were real. She had been thirteen years old. She had gone against her mother's wishes and decided not to go to her tutor and learn about whatever boring thing he had planned that day and instead she went out to ride her horse and to play outside. When she had returned her mother had been waiting for her, a face like thunder.

 _"Regina where have you been?!" Cora hissed as she reached forward and grabbed hold of her young daughters arm and roughly pulled her down the long hallway of the large house._

 _"Mother I…I was just outside getting some air. I finished my lessons for the day." Regina lied. She didn't know why she lied. She could already see her mother knew that she had not gone to her lessons. That she had defied her. It had seemed such a good idea at the time. Now she wasn't so sure._

 _"Don't lie to me Regina." Cora snapped as she pulled Regina into her bedchambers. She threw the girl into the room and she fell to the floor. Cora then slammed the heavy wooden door shut behind her and Regina turned round to her mother fearfully. "You didn't go to your lessons did you?" Cora asked in a quiet voice. A voice that made Regina scared._

 _"I…I…" Regina stuttered as she stayed down on the floor. She had lifted herself up a little and was looking up at her mother who was towering over her. "I…"_

 _"Spit it out Regina!" Cora shouted making Regina jump. "Get up!" She shouted again and reached down to grab onto Regina's arm again and roughly pull her up from the floor so she was standing. Regina shook a little in fear. She didn't like when her mother got like this. It scared her. Sometimes she used magic and sometimes it hurt. Sometimes she didn't use her magic and sometimes that hurt to. Either way it wasn't good. "You didn't go to your lessons today, did you Regina?" Cora repeated slowly._

 _Regina shook her head but didn't say a word. Cora then lifted her hand up and Regina flinched bring her hands up to cover her face as she whimpered. "No…mother please don't!" She whimpered out and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Her mother was not going to be happy when she saw she was crying. It would make it even worse._

 _But Cora just moved Regina's hands out of the way, holding them down as her other hand came crashing down slapping against Regina's cheek, the noise of the hit echoing around the big bedchambers. Regina gasped and pulled one of her hands out of the tight grip Cora had had them in and her hand flew up to her cheek holding the bright red burning cheek. "You stupid insolent little brat." Cora spat out. "How dare you defy me." Cora's hand raised up again and Regina turned her body so her back was to her mother and hid her face._

 _"Mother…no please…I'll be good." Regina whimpered out as she continued to hide her face. Cora grabbed Regina and pulled her round to face her but Regina tried to fight her off as best she could. "I'll be good mother. Please stop hurting me." Regina pleaded desperately. She looked up into her mother's dark empty eyes, pleading with her, tears in her eyes. She was sorry. She shouldn't have defied her mother. She knew that now. She was stupid._

 _Cora's hand slowly slipped back down and the both hands came out to cup Regina's face making Regina flinch a little. "Regina I just want you to listen to me. Everything I do I do for you. To give you the best life possible." Cora said in a softer voice. A voice Regina hardly ever heard. But the voice sucked Regina in. Gave her a false sense of affection and love. Regina fell for it every time and Cora knew it. Regina was so desperate for her love that she would take whatever she got and would do anything to get it. Cora knew she had Regina in the palm of her hand. She just need to curb these rebelling moments. "You need to listen to me Regina. When I tell you to go to your lessons you go. Is that understood?"_

 _Regina nodded her head and sniffed a little trying to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks, staining her beautiful face with sadness. "Yes mother. I understand."_

 _"You need these lessons Regina if you are one day to become queen and you will my darling girl." Cora said. "What I do for you and to you is in your best interests Regina. Listen to mother. Mother knows best. Repeat it."_

 _"Listen to mother. Mother knows best." Regina repeated obediently._

 _"Good girl." Cora praised giving Regina a rare smile before leaning forward and placing a kiss on the young girls forehead. "Now go and get cleaned up. Your tutor is still here and you will have your lessons. An extra two hours will be added on for you defiance."_

 _"But mother that means I will miss dinner…" Regina said quietly._

 _"Well that's what happens when girls don't listen to their mothers. Now do as I say and go and clean up Regina." Cora said firmly and gave Regina a warning look. With that Regina turned on her heel and hurriedly went to clean herself up._

 _She knew better than to argue with her mother now. So she walked towards her wardrobe all the while repeating to herself. "Listen to mother. Mother knows best." Over and over and over again._

"Regina are you okay?" Emma asked pulling Regina out of her thoughts and placing a hand on Regina's arm. Regina jumped and shuffled away from Emma which was enough for Emma to back off. "It's okay Regina I'm not here to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you. Remember I promised you so…" Emma said but Regina just stared at her blankly. "I just came up here to bring you some breakfast and your medication."

Once again Regina remained silent so Emma walked over to the vanity table and picked up the tray walking back over to the bed and placing it on the bed beside Regina. "I have sent Henry off to school with the promise that I would take care of you and make sure you take your medication. He has a thing about you taking it at certain times. Quite the bossy boots type. Guess he follows after you right?" Emma said cracking a joke to lighten things a little but Regina didn't make a move or a sound. Emma sighed and then lifted the pill bottle and opened it. "Okay so here are your pills." She said as she emptied two onto the tray. "Some toast and some orange juice. I guess I will leave you to it…I will come check on you in a bit…" Emma said as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room sensing Regina needed a moment to herself.

Once Emma had left the room Regina's shoulders sagged a little and she looked back down at the hand she had tried to use magic with. She had no idea what had happened. She had felt her magic moving within her as if it were about to shoot out of her but just as it reached her core it seemed to backfire on her and cause her the pain she had wanted t inflict. It had never happened to her before. She looked at the tray sitting on the bed and focused on it and with her hand she tried to shoot it across the room. But once again as he magic moved within her it backfired and pain shot up her arm once again. She cried out a little in pain and held onto her arm, screwing her eyes closed as the pain roamed up and down her arm.

What was going on with her magic?

* * *

Henry came rushing into the mansion with David following behind him. He kicked off his shoes, dumped his bag and then ran up the couple of steps into the foyer. Emma walked out the living room giving him a smile and a greeting but he moved passed her and ran up the stairs calling back to her.

"Nice to see you to kid." Emma called back sarcastically with a roll of her eyes and a slight laugh.

"He has done nothing but talk about checking on Regina the whole ride here." David said and Emma nodded slightly. "How is she?" He asked.

"Are you really concerned or just asking out of politeness?" Emma asked. She wasn't being rude or mean she was genuinely curious on if he actually cared.

"Despite everything I actually do want to know how she is and I do care. I would never wish that upon anyone. Feeling that low that they feel there is no way out of it but that one solution." David said stuffing his hands in his jean pockets.

"Well she's…okay I guess…doesn't talk much. Only really to Henry. Even her anger has calmed down. She won't direct anything towards me really." Emma shrugged. I think she is suffering from nightmares to…but then she could have been suffering from them before I don't know."

David nodded slightly. "Is Henry helping her?"

"I think so. She seems to brighten up a little, if even only slightly when he is there. He is the one who encourages her to take her medication and to eat, although even he can't always get her to eat anything. He appetite is nonexistent." Emma explained.

"Well I hope one day all this can get better." David replied.

"I do too." Emma said.

Meanwhile upstairs Henry was sat on Regina's bed telling her all about his day at school. She was quite and appeared to be listening to him. He glanced to the side to see a tray with toast that she had not eaten and a glass of orange juice that was half full. "So how has your day been mom?" He asked.

"Quiet." Regina replied in a low voice, her tired eyes looking out over her duvet towards Henry.

"Have you gotten out of bed today?" Henry asked. Regina shook her head and his shoulders sagged a little at this. "Oh…well maybe tomorrow?"

"Maybe tomorrow." Regina replied although she wasn't so sure.

"Why don't I run you a nice bath? It might help you relax. I could put some candles around it and some nice bubble bath in." Henry suggested. "It will be nice for you." He said and shuffled off of the bed not giving her room to argue. He walked towards the ensuite and turned the taps to fill the bath tub. He poured some of his mothers expensive bubble bath in and then went about lighting some of the candles that were in the room. He turned to see the bath filled enough and turned the taps off and testing the water. It seemed to be perfect. He walked out of the ensuite and back over to the bed his mother still in the same position he had left her in. "Please mom. I bet you feel a little better afterwards. Emma and I can change the sheets on your bed and get you fresh pyjamas and then we can prepare a nice dinner. You could come downstairs for a bit."

Regina sighed and she turned in the bed and pushed herself up a little. "I'm not sure I'm up for going down stairs today Henry." She replied.

"Well okay…we'll take it one step at a time. You go in the bath and We will sort the other things out." Henry suggested.

Regina looked into his hopeful eyes and sighed again. "Okay …" She breathed out and she shuffled out of the bed and made her way towards the ensuite bathroom.

Henry smiled and he leaned over picking the tray up from the bed to take downstairs. He would get Emma and she could come up and help him change the sheets on his mothers bed and set out new pyjamas for her and if she still didn't feel like going downstairs it was okay. At least she had gotten out of bed that day.


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a fantastic New Year! Here is my first update of 2016!**

* * *

 _Regina sat in the corner of the big cold room her knees up to her chest and her hands over her ears trying to drown out the horrible thumping sound. The room was only slight lit, giving off a dim shade of red. It was cold and drafty and not a place for a thirteen year old girl but here she was._

 _Thump thump…thump thump…thump thump…_

 _The noise seemed as if it was getting louder and louder with each second that passed. Regina wasn't sure she could stand it anymore. She wanted out. She needed out. She desperately pushed herself up, using the wall for support and ran over to the big heavy wooden door. Fisting up her hands she used them to bang against the door._

 _"Mother let me out! Please let me out!" Regina shouted, tears running down her face. "Please mother! I'll be good! Let me out!" She sobbed and sobbed as she banged on the door as hard as she could. She had no idea how long she had been locked in her mother's vault but however long it was, it was too long. She couldn't take it any longer._

 _But no one came to her rescue. No one came to let her out. She turned and rested against the door looking out to the room. The wall on the other side was glowing on and off. The drawers storing her mother's prized possessions._

 _Thump thump…thump thump…thump thump…_

 _The sound was torture and sent shivers down her spine as she thought about what those drawers contained. She had heard the rumours of her mother but she didn't want to believe them. She didn't want to believe her mother done anything like that but here she was standing in the room that gave her all the evidence she needed to prove her mother was exactly what the rumours said she was. An evil witch._

 _The hearts of those who had crossed her mother in some way lay in this room, beating away. Regina's breathing began to get faster and she tried to control herself. She was struggling and she really needed out of this room. Away from the horror. She turned back round to the door raising her still fisted hands and banged on the door again._

 _"Mother I need out! Please! Please let me out! I'll be good mother! I'll do whatever you tell me!" Regina screamed. She screamed and she screamed for what felt like hours before she felt herself sliding down the door and falling to the cold concrete floor. She crawled to the side and lay down, pulling her knees up. She cried and cried trying to make herself sleep hoping this horrible punishment would be over soon._

* * *

Regina shot up in bed with a gasp, her hair sticking to her forehead and her breathing becoming out of her control. The dream roamed her memory and she tried to rid herself of it. This had been the third nightmare that night and at least the tenth that week. She couldn't escape her past. The bad memories clung to her and wouldn't leave.

She could feel the tears slipping down her cheeks and she rested back against her headboard trying to calm herself down. She had suffered from nightmares before but nothing like this. They had never seemed as real before. It had never felt as if she was reliving the horrible moments of her past until now. What had changed? What was causing this? Was it her moods? Was it the depression? She had no idea but she wanted it all to stop. She wasn't sure how many memories she could relive. She let out a sigh, her breathing beginning to calm and she reached over to turn on the lamp sitting on her bedside table.

She looked around her big empty bedroom, the memories of the nightmare slowly slipping away to the back of her mind as she let herself calm. He heart starting to slow down to a normal rhythm. She had thought she had controlled the nightmares. For years she had managed to control them. To not let them in, to forget them but now they were back and taking full advantage of the fact she no longer seemed to have control. But why did she not have control? What was it that was causing her control to go? Glancing over to the bedside table she saw the pill bottle. She frowned and picked it up, staring at the orange bottle as her mind worked. The nightmares had only started up again after…that day…the day she lost full control…the day she tried to…

When she started taking these pills she started to feel it. Something wasn't right. Was it the pills? Or was it just a coincidence? She had no idea. She sighed and chucked the pill bottle back onto the bedside table. She threw the covers off of her and pushed herself out of the bed. Walking over to the bedroom door she got her dressing gown and pulled it around her. She opened her bedroom door and glanced up the dark hallway. It was early in the morning, five am to be precise. She knew neither Henry nor Emma would be awake and she didn't mind that. She didn't particularly want company. She walked out of the bedroom and over to the stairs slowly walking down and through to the living room. She stood at the doorway for a moment looking around. It had seemed like years since she had last been down here. She had stayed up in her bedroom for so long it felt weird to be wandering around her house again.

Her eyes landed on the big grand back piano in the back of the living room. She felt drawn towards it and let her feet take her over to the instrument. It really had been a long time since she had played the piano and she remembered how much it used to calm her down. It seemed to take all of her anger away from her as she put it into whatever piece she was playing. She sat down and looked down at the keys wondering if she would still be able to play.

Her fingers found their place and from memory she began to play. It was a tune she had always loved. It was from one of the Star Wars films Henry had made her sit through countless times. _Across the stars_ was the name and she had mastered it quickly playing it most of the time when she got round to playing the piano. She closed her eyes as her fingers moved elegantly over the keys, her memory taking over and playing the melody. She let the music take over her, letting it relax her and take away all the horrible feelings that had lived within her over the past few weeks, months, even years.

* * *

What Regina didn't know was that she had woken someone up with her playing. Emma had heard the melody and followed it. She stood in the doorway, hiding herself a little not wanting to disturb Regina. She looked at peace, so much at peace, the best she had looked in god knows how long and Emma didn't want to be the one to ruin it. She had had no idea Regina could actually play the piano. Yes she had obviously seen the piano sitting in the living room but she presumed Henry was the one that played. She never thought that Regina did. She had to admit she was deeply impressed as she watched Regina. Her eyes closed, her fingers gliding over the keys. It was amazing to watch and Regina looked, well Emma had to admit that she looked beautiful. Her facial features peaceful, relaxed, she looked slightly happy and that made Emma smile a little.

"She's good isn't she…" Came a whisper from behind Emma making her jump a little. She looked behind her to see Henry and she nodded her head her gaze returning towards Regina. "She used to play a lot when I was little. I can't remember the last time I seen her play. It relaxes her. I can't believe I never thought of it may be helping her now."

"It seems she thought of it all on her own." Emma replied quietly, her gaze still on Regina. "I didn't know she played…I presumed you did…"

"I do." Henry shrugged. "Not as good as mom but I do play."

Emma nodded. "It relaxes her?"

"Yes. I'm not sure what it is about playing but she just seems to relax when she does." Henry replied.

Emma watched as Regina came to the end of the music. She stopped for a moment as if deep in thought before she started to play something else. Emma wasn't quite sure what it was Regina was playing now but it was just as beautiful as the last piece. "We should leave her to it. We don't want to disturb her if this is helping." Henry nodded and they both headed back upstairs for a bit.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, I hope you are enjoying this story. I am planning on picking up the pace a little more so we will soon find out what is going on with Regina's magic and if it actually is something to do with her medication.**

 **Also I have a few stories in the mix and I would like to see what some people might like to see next. I still have my OQ college story that I did wan to start before but I hadn't quite got all the details sorted so there is still that one. Or I have an EvilCharming story, college based again with David Charming coming from a very rich family and wanting to rebel against them meeting the lovely Regina Mills who will be the one to help him. Or I also have had another idea recently from personal things and from watching a film. The idea is about Regina being diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer and what the struggle would be for not only herself but for others around her.**

 **So yes those are my ideas and I would appreciate it if you could give me some feedback on what you might like to see next. Thanks guys!**

* * *

After a while Emma decides to go downstairs. She had sent Henry to go and get ready for school and had told him she would prepare breakfast. So she made her way down the stairs, glanced into the living room to see the room empty and made her way towards the kitchen. The kitchen was empty too and she wondered where Regina may have gone to. She was sure she would have heard Regina going back upstairs so presumed that would mean Regina was downstairs. She sorted the coffee machine and switched it on before going to search the rest of the rooms on the bottom floor. She walked into the study looking around and seeing no one she walked towards the patio doors heading out to the garden. She noticed one door was slightly open and walked out looking around. She spotted Regina sat on the swing bench on the patio, a blanket around her and staring out to the big garden.

Emma walked over to her and stopped the bench from swinging. Sitting down she used her feet to make the bench swing again. "Hey…" Emma said breaking into the silence. Regina didn't say anything and didn't look her way. Emma sighed and stared out into the garden. "So…I heard you playing the piano earlier. Your pretty good."

"I had a lot of time to learn." Regina said quietly still not looking at Emma. "A whole twenty-eight years of it."

Emma nodded. "Yep. That is a lot of time to learn."

"What do you want Miss Swan?" Regina sighed in out frustration.

"Nothing really. Why do you always think I want something from you?" Emma asked.

"Because that seems to be the way of things. Someone talks to me, gives me their time, they want something from me. Been like that my whole life and I don't see why that would change now." Regina replied.

Emma was shocked at the honest answer Regina had given her. She hadn't quite expected that answer. "Well I don't want anything from you Regina. I don't expect anything from you. I just want to talk. I want to help you." Emma replied.

"Why do you think talking will help me?" Regina asked.

"It's a proven method to help people in many circumstances." Emma shrugged.

"What so you're a therapist now? Has the bug given you a job." Regina threw back.

Emma rolled her eyes a little. "Talking helps whether you think so or not Regina. If you gave it a chance you might actually find that."

"I have talked. For twenty-eight years I went to Dr Hopper and I talked. I got everything off my chest many many times yet here I am in a depressed state, having already tried to kill myself and taking pills that aren't helping me but making me worse." Regina said.

Emma frowned. "The pills are making you worse? How are they making you worse?"

"They are messing around with my magic and giving me…nightmares…" Regina said slowly. "When I try to use my magic it hurts me…it's like it back fires. The nightmares, they are memories. They are real, they feel like they are happening all over again. When I have them it is as if I am there again, in that moment of time." Regina revealed. She couldn't quite believe she was opening up to Emma but she needed to tell someone. She needed this to be over.

"Are you sure you're not just imaging the magic thing?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't believe me?" Regina asked and for the first time she looked at Emma, a hurt look on her face.

"I just think that you have never wanted to take the pills and many try to convince that the pills don't work to try to get off them so…" Emma said trailing off slightly.

"You think I am manipulating you in some way to get you to let me stop taking the pills…is that it?" Regina said, she could feel herself getting angry and frustrated and she knew her magic would work its way up her body. She knew she needed to calm herself down.

"Well…" Emma started but trailed off again. She didn't want to doubt Regina but she couldn't help it. "The nightmares are probably a normal side effect to what you are going through."

"You never answered the question. You think I am manipulating you…"

"I think your very good at getting what you want…" Emma said.

"You think I am manipulating you…" Regina repeated.

"Yes." Emma breathed out in frustration. "I do. I think you know how to use manipulation to get what you want. No matter what state of mind you are in. You are not a stupid woman Regina. You have never wanted to take those pills and yes I think you are manipulating me into thinking they aren't helping you and are making you worse so that I will just agree for you not to take them."

Regina didn't say a word. Her anger was rising up in her and she tried to hold her emotions in. She stood up from the bench, her blanket wrapped around her and she walked past Emma and over to the patio doors. "You're wrong." Regina said before walking into the house. Emma closed her eyes feeling all the progress she had made with Regina slipping away as she disappeared into the house. Regina quickly walked through the house and ran up the stairs towards her bedroom. She slammed the door shut and leaned against it clutching her arm as pain shot up and down it. the magic fighting to break free but being blocked. Tears in her eyes she rested her head against the door trying to breath and fight down her emotions and stop the pain.

* * *

Henry peered out of his room as he heard one of the bedroom doors slam shut. He presumed it was his mothers. it sounded like it came from the end of the hall where his mothers room was. He walked out of his room and down the hall to where his mother's room was. He looked at the door, lifted his hand and was about to knock when he changed his mind. He leaned forward and frowned a little as he could hear his mother crying on the other side of the door. He wanted to comfort her but he wasn't sure if he would be able to. He sighed and changed his mind again and he knocked on the door lightly. "Mom? Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine Henry…Just go get breakfast." Came her reply and Henry could tell by her voice she was upset but he didn't want to push her. So he turned on his heel and made his way down the stairs.

As he reached the bottom he saw his blonde mother walking out of the kitchen. "Why is my mom crying? What happened?" Henry asked.

"It's fine kid…" Emma started.

"No its not!" Henry shouted surprising Emma. "It's not fine. She's crying and I can't help her. What did you do?"

"Henry I didn't…"

"No! Don't deny it! You said something to her to make her upset." Henry shouted.

"She was already upset before I said anything Henry. She is depressed." Emma shouted back. "Don't you get it? She is not going to get better in a few days just because you start acting nice to her, giving her attention an cuddles. She is depressed. She tried to kill herself. It doesn't just take a few days to get over that and it doesn't make her change who she is."

Henry stood, glaring at Emma for a minute. He then stormed past her, pushing into her as he walked towards the front door. He grabbed his coat and his bag and turned round to look at Emma, giving her a glare that was so like Regina it surprised her. "I'm not stupid. I know she won't get better in a few days but it doesn't mean I can't hope and it doesn't mean she can't change." He said before turning round and storming out the house, slamming the front door behind him.

Emma sighed and closed her eyes. She knew she had gone too far when she had shouted at Henry. She knew she probably shouldn't have said what she did to him but maybe it was what he needed to hear. She had screwed up with both Mills and it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. "Well this day is going to be great!" Emma muttered as she walked into the living room and threw herself down onto the sofa.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Here we have some more drama.**

 **I just wanted to say again about some story ideas I have that I am hoping to start soon and to ask which one you would like to see.** **I still have my OQ college story that I did wan to start before but I hadn't quite got all the details sorted so there is still that one. Or I have an EvilCharming story, college based again with David Charming coming from a very rich family and wanting to rebel against them meeting the lovely Regina Mills who will be the one to help him. Or I also have had another idea recently from personal things and from watching a film. The idea is about Regina being diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer and what the struggle would be for not only herself but for others around her.**

 **So just to see if anyone else wants to vote for whichever idea before I see which one has the most.**

* * *

Emma left Regina most of the day after their argument this morning. Regina had shut herself up in her bedroom as usual and Emma knew that she probably wouldn't leave and that she was going to have to be the one to make the move to try and build things back up between them.

She had prepared a lunch, nothing spectacular, just sandwiches and some juice. She just wanted an excuse to go in and talk to Regina. She knew just walking in wasn't going to go well and if she had an excuse to be in the room that it might go down better. So she picked up the tray and headed upstairs being very careful not to trip and spill anything. When she made it to Regina's bedroom she knocked lightly and opened the door not even waiting for a reply.

Emma looks over to the bed first panicking a little when she didn't see Regina but she let her eyes scan the room and they soon landed on Regina who was sat in a chair by the window, staring out to the outside world. Emma cleared her throat a little and walked over placing the tray on Regina's dressing table. She picked up the glass of juice and the pill bottle and walked over to where Regina was sat.

Regina glanced up at Emma and Emma could tell that the older woman had been crying. It was clearly obvious by the blotchy redness of her face and Emma couldn't help the guilt that rose up inside her. "It's time to take your medication Regina…" Emma said quietly holding out the glass of juice and the pill bottle. Regina's eyes flicked to the juice and pill bottle and then she turned her head away and looked back out of the window. Emma sighed and she reached over placing the glass on the window sill along with the pill bottle."Regina I'm sorry if I hurt you this morning but can you really blame me for feeling the way I do…for not particularly trusting you…"

"You give the best apologies Miss Swan, has anyone ever told you that?" Regina replied back sarcastically.

"Regina I'm trying here. I know you might not like the fact you are on this medication but the fact is you are and it will help you. It will help you to get better." Emma said firmly.

"And what if I don't want to get better Miss Swan? What makes you think that is what I want?" Regina threw back her tired eyes back to Emma.

"Because I know you won't give up on your promise to Henry. You promised him that you wouldn't leave him again and I know you will keep that promise to him." Emma replied. "I know everything seems…hard just now…like it will never get better but I promise you Regina things will get better. When I promised you your happy ending I meant it. I will help you get your happy ending. You just have to work with me too." Emma said crouching down a little and placing her hands on Regina's knees.

It was then she noticed just how skinny Regina really was. She knew Regina wasn't eating the best but she hadn't noticed quite how much weight the already small woman had lost. It was only now that she was really seeing Regina. She had promised Henry she would look after his mother and that was what she was doing but she needed to up her game a little more.

"Take the pills and then…" Emma said standing back up and walking over to the dressing table. She picked up the plate and walked back over to Regina and held out the plate. "Eat this. You need to get some food in you."

"I'm not really hungry…" Regina replied looking down at the sandwich on the plate. It looked nice enough she just couldn't stomach it.

"At least eat a little bit. It might help." Emma said.

"The medication makes me nauseas." Regina replied looking back out of the window. "It's a side effect. I checked."

Emma nodded and placed the plate next to Regina. "I know it is. I checked out the side effects myself but you do need to eat Regina. I know you might not feel up to it but it might help you out a bit, might be a reason you are feeling nauseas too…maybe your hungrier than you think."

Regina glanced back at Emma and then looked back down at the sandwich. "I'll try." Regina whispered and Emma smiled.

"That is all I ask Regina." Emma said. Emma then turned on her heel and was about to walk back out of the room when Regina spoke up again, stopping Emma in her tracks.

"I wasn't manipulating you…earlier…I really wasn't…" Regina said in a quiet voice and when Emma turned round to look at Regina she didn't see the woman she knew. She saw a much more vulnerable version of that woman. She really did feel horrible about the argument they had had that morning. "I really do think something is happening to my magic and that the medication might be the reason. I'm not trying to manipulate you into letting me stop taking them."

Emma walked back over to Regina and she sat down beside her. "Maybe your magic is playing up because of how you are feeling at the minute. I mean magic is linked with emotion right? So maybe it's something to do with that?"

"Maybe…I just…I think it's something more…I really do." Regina said frowning in confusion as she tried to process her thoughts. She knew it had to be something more than just her emotions. It wasn't just that. It couldn't be. She was sure it was the medication.

"Why don't we see how things go Regina? If it continues maybe we will go see about it…but I think you should just try and relax and get yourself back on track eh?" Emma said. Regina just nodded her head. She was too tired to argue anymore. Too tired for anything anymore. Emma smiled. "Good. Okay well I am going to go and get Henry. Will you be okay? Or do you fancy coming with me?" Emma asked.

"No…I don't want to go out there…" Regina said quietly as she looked back out of the window. "I don't want to feel everyone staring at the fallen evil queen."

"If you're sure…it might be good to get out there, feel the fresh air…And I'm sure I can stop everyone from staring at you." Emma said.

"I'm fine here." Regina replied quickly.

"Okay. Well I will be back soon with Henry." Emma said. She stood back up and turned on her heel this time leaving the room and heading downstairs.

Regina heard Emma head out of the house and she let out a sigh. Her eyes then moved to the glass of juice and the pill bottle still sitting on the window sill. She reached forward and picked the pill bottle up, opening it and taking out two pills. She closed the bottle and dropped it into her lap before reaching over an picking up the glass of juice. Putting the two pills in her mouth she swallowed back some juice and closed her eyes as she could feel the pills moving down her throat.

She didn't know why she took them. She knew they were the reason behind her magic going wild and hurting her, she knew they were the reasons for the nightmares but she wanted to see if Emma was right and it was her emotions getting the better of her.

Picking up the pill bottle from her lap and standing up she walked over a little and held her hand out trying to summon a fire ball. She felt her magic coursing through her veins, heading towards the tips of her fingers and then the pain came, the surging pain that moved through her body. She cried out and tried to control it, tried to control her magic but the harder she tried the more pain it caused her. She could feel herself becoming dizzier and dizzier by the minute, the pain becoming too much for her and she tried to pull back but it was too late. She could feel herself tumbling to the floor, everything going black. The pill bottle fell down beside her, the top popping open sending pills flying everywhere.

Henry walked out the front doors of the school, his eyes scanning the surrounding area quickly before seeing Emma. He ran over to her, a smile on his face. "Hey." He said as he stopped in front of her.

"Hey kid. How was your day?" Emma asked as she turned on her heel and they started the shot walk to her car.

Henry shrugged his shoulders a little. "It was okay. Usual day." came his response and it seemed to be the usual response about school nowadays. "I made something for mom…" Henry then said, stopping and taking his backpack off his back. He unzipped his bag and dug his hand in. "It was a project in woodwork…It's nothing special, I don't know if she will like it but I think I done as good as I could on it." Henry said as he brought out a small rectangle wooden box. "It's suppose to be a pencil case." He explained as he held it up for Emma to see.

Emma took it from Henry and looked at it with a small smile on her face. Emma knew no matter what it looked like Regina would treasure the gift from Henry. Emma knew it would become one of Regina's prized possessions and she couldn't help but smile at that fact. "Your mom will love it kid. You know she loves everything you give to her." Emma said as she handed the wooden pencil case to Henry.

"I hope so." Henry said. They both got into Emma's car and Henry dumped his bag at his feet. "How is she? Did you say sorry to her for this morning?"

Emma nodded her head. "Yes I apologised for this morning Henry."

"Good. And she is okay?" Henry asked.

"She's okay Henry." Emma replied. She didn't really know how to describe how Regina was to Henry. It was a tough situation to talk to Henry about. His mother wasn't exactly okay but she didn't want Henry to worry any more than he already was. Emma knew although Henry was getting older he still had such a young innocence about him and sometimes he seemed to not understand things in certain ways. "It takes time to get back on track Henry. Your mom…she will get there. She just needs some time."

"I know." Henry said with a slight sigh. "I understand she won't feel better overnight. I just don't like seeing her this sad. I feel like it's my fault. The way I treated her…"

"Henry this isn't your fault. Your mom…she's had a hard life. Thing's haven't been too nice for her in the past and sometimes that can get too much for some people. Everyone has a breaking point and your mom just hit that point. She knows that you love her…She loves you so much Henry no matter what happens." Emma replied.

"Grandma says my mom loves with all her soul and feels things very deeply and she thinks that is a reason mom is sad…" Henry said.

"It might well be. Your Grandma knows your mother perhaps better than many in this town…they have a long gruelling past. Things will get better Henry." Emma said. she drove into Mifflin Street and soon parked up outside of the mansion.

Henry was quick to unbuckle himself and grab his bag before hopping out of the car and running towards the house. Emma followed behind him and Henry dumped his bag and took off his shoes. He quickly dug around in his bag to get the gift for Regina, before running up the couple of stairs to the foyer and over to the stairs. Emma watched him run off up the stairs and let out a sigh before heading towards the kitchen to get herself a drink.

Henry stops outside of Regina's bedroom for a minute, giving a light knock before entering the room. "Mom…I made you something at school…" Henry starts walking further into the room before stopping as his eyes landed to his mother lying on the bedroom floor, pills scattered everywhere. "Mom?!" Henry gasped out as he ran over to her, dropping down to his knees beside her and dropping his gift down to the floor. "Mom!" He said loudly, reaching forward and shaking her slightly. "EMMA!" Henry shouted. He was beginning to panic. This couldn't be happening. Emma had said his mother had seemed okay. She wasn't all better but she was getting there. She couldn't leave him. "EMMA!" Henry shouted again, tears running down his face.

Emma quickly made her way up the stairs and down the hall to Regina's bedroom. "Henry what's the matter?" Emma asked as she entered the room and then stopped as she saw the scene in front of her. Emma quickly rushed over to them and knelt down beside Regina, turning her over. "Regina!" Emma said loudly. She then felt for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief as she felt one. It was slightly weak but it was there. "Okay Henry go downstairs and open my car. We are taking your mom to the hospital."

Henry nodded his head and stood up quickly and ran out of the room. Emma then leaned down and scooped Regina up in her arms, really realising then just how skinny Regina had become. She was as light as a feather in her arms. She stood up slowly and started to walk out the room. "I swear to god Regina if you even think about dying…" Emma muttered with tears in her eyes. This was not how things were meant to go. She had hoped they were getting somewhere and if it took everything in her power she was not going to lose Regina. Not today and not in the near future.

She hurried out of the mansion and over to the car where Henry was waiting. She carefully placed Regina in the back of the car and both Emma and Henry hurried into the car to get Regina to the hopsital.


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's another chapter for you all. I will try and update as soon as possible!**

* * *

It felt a bit like déjà vu all over again. Emma was pacing up and down in the waiting room waiting on news to how Regina was and if she would be okay. Henry was sat on one of the chairs just staring down at the floor and Emma would glance over every so often. She had no idea what to say to him. What could she say?

She couldn't believe this had happened again. She hadn't thought Regina was going to do that again. She hadn't picked up any of the signs. Of course Regina hadn't been very happy and they had that argument this morning but she didn't think she was going to do this again. Emma kicked herself. She should have gotten someone to pick up Henry. She shouldn't have left Regina alone. She had thought perhaps Regina had been getting better. She had thought she could leave her for the small amount of time it would take to pick up Henry.

Emma sighed and leaned against the wall, her head falling backwards as she looked up at the ceiling. Henry jumped up as he saw Doctor Whale walking over to them. "Ma." He said pulling Emma from her thoughts and making her looking over to them. She pushed herself from the wall and walked over to where Henry was now standing. "Is my mom okay?" Henry asked quickly as Doctor Whale stood in front of them.

"Regina is okay. We ran some tests and couldn't find any traces of overdose." Whale explained.

"I didn't think you would. There was quite a bit spilled on the floor. Do you have any idea what happened? Did you find anything else she might have taken?" Emma said.

Doctor Whale shook his head. "We found nothing in her tests. We're not quite sure what has happened."

"Is she awake?" Henry asked.

"Yes she is. She is a little disorientated and weak but she is awake." Doctor Whale explained. "You can both go in and see her but I recommend taking it easy." Doctor Whale said. He then indicated to which room Regina was in before turning on his heel and walking away.

Henry turned to Emma. "Can you get me a soda mom? I want to talk to mom myself for a bit." Henry said.

Emma was about to ask why Henry wanted to talk to Regina on his own but soon decided just to leave it. Regina was his mom after all so it wasn't a weird thing for him to want to talk to his mother on his own. So she agreed. "Okay. I won't be long okay?" Emma said.

Henry nodded and he watched as Emma walked away. He then turned on his heel and made his way towards the room his mother was in. He walked in slowly, his eyes landing on Regina who was sitting up in the bed but like Doctor Whale said she looked weak. He cleared his throat indicating to Regina that someone was in the room. She looked over and gave Henry a small smile before seeing the look on his face and the smile disappeared. "I thought you were doing okay…" Henry said quietly. "You said you were doing okay."

"I was Henry. I am." Regina replied pushing herself up a little more in the bed.

Henry just stared at Regina for a moment. Tears were filling up in his eyes and slipping down his cheeks. She promised she wouldn't leave him. She promised she wouldn't do anything like this again. "You lied! You promised me!" Henry said angrily, more and more tears falling down his cheeks.

"What are you talking about Henry? I haven't lied to you." Regina replied.

"You promised you'd never leave me again! You lied!" Henry shouted.

"Henry…I haven't left you and I wasn't planning on leaving you. I didn't do anything to myself." Regina replied desperately waning Henry to believe her. She couldn't cope with him not believing her and she couldn't cope with being the one to upset him again.

"You were planning on leaving me for good a few weeks ago!" Henry shouted back. "And clearly you were trying to leave me alone again! You told me you were doing okay. You said things were getting better and I believed you. Why did you lie to me?"

"Henry sweetheart I didn't lie to you. Things were…are okay. I'm doing okay. I'm slowly getting better. I wasn't planning on leaving you again. I promise you I didn't do anything this time. This wasn't me." Regina said, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "I have a feeling I know what has happened…I just…I don't think it is something I should talk about with you Henry."

"Why? You don't have to be alone in this mom. I'm here for you. I want to help you. You'll never be able to go through all this on your own. You need me as much as I need you mom. You can talk to me." Henry said as he walked closer to Regina, standing by the edge of the bed.

"Henry I…"

"Please mom. Talk to me." Henry said desperately.

Regina sighed and she ran her fingers through her shoulder length brown hair. "I already tried to talk to Emma about it and she didn't believe me…"

"Doesn't mean to say I won't believe you mom." Henry replied back quickly.

Regina sighed again. She guessed there was no harm in telling Henry what she thought was happening. He was getting older, he was no longer her little boy anymore and maybe he would believe her and could help her to convince Emma that what she felt was happening was real. "I…I think the pills I have been taking are making me worse…"

"What do you mean? How are they making you worse?" Henry asked.

"I have been having…nightmares of sorts since I started taking my medication…and sometimes when I get too emotional and can't quite control my magic…my magic tried to go but…it's as if something is blocking it and my magic backfires and it hurts me in some way…and I have been having migraines and feeling nauseous." Regina explained.

"And you think the medication made you collapse?" Henry asked. Regina nodded her head. "Is that why you haven't wanted to take your medication?"

"Yes and no." Regina said with a sigh. "In the beginning I just didn't want to take it…but after a while because I had been taking it all this started happening and it became the reason I really didn't want to take it. And yes I do think it is the reason I collapsed. Before I collapsed I felt dizzy and nauseous and I couldn't stop what was happening."

Henry bit his lip and he looked down at the floor. "I made you take the medication..."

"Henry you thought you were helping me…I don't want you to feel bad about any of this." Regina said.

"I should have listened to you before when you said you didn't want to take it. I should have asked you why you didn't want to take it instead of making you take it." Henry said sadly.

"Henry…" Regina started but Henry shook his head.

"No I don't want you to make me feel better about it mom. I shouldn't have just ignored what you have been trying to tell me and Emma for weeks. " Henry said.

"So you do believe what I have told you?" Regina asked.

Henry nodded his head. "Yes I believe you. If you say that is what has been happening to you since you have taken the medication then I believe that has been happening. Is that why you and Emma argued earlier?"

Regina nodded her head. "Yes. I tried to tell her but she didn't believe me. I understand why she didn't."

"No she should have listened to you. We could have stopped you from collapsing if we had." Henry said.

Just at that moment Emma walked into the room, a can of soda in her hand. "Hey kid. Here's your soda." Emma said as she handed it over to him. She then looked to Regina. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." Regina replied quietly.

"Mom says she thinks her medication is the reason she collapsed. She has also told me about all the side effects she has been experiencing because of the medication and I believe her." Henry said firmly.

"Henry your mom and I have talked about this…" Emma sighed.

"Yes and you didn't believe her. If you had we might have been able to stop her from ending up back in here. Emma I believe what mom is saying. The medication must be the cause of what she has been going through. Would you want to take the medication if it did that to you?" Henry said.

"No…no I wouldn't." Emma replied.

"We need to believe in mom Emma. We didn't before and look what happened. We need to believe in what she is telling us." Henry said.

Emma thought about it for a minute. She could see that Henry really believed in Regina and she wanted to as well. "Tell me again what has been happening to you since you have started the medication." Emma said looking towards Regina. So Regina explained everything to Emma again. When she finished Emma leaned on the bed a little. "And you think the medication made you collapse?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded her head. "Yes. I do. I promise you that I am not trying to manipulate you…"

"I don't think you are." Emma said. "I believe you."

"You do? What makes this time different from last time?" Regina asked.

"I was paying more attention to you this time. I can see in your eyes that what you are saying is the truth and for what it's worth I'm sorry I didn't believe you before. Henry is right. If I had listened to what you were saying then we could have prevented this." Emma said.

"So what are we going to do now?" Henry asked.

"Well I am going to talk to Doctor Whale, see if he knows why the medication might be causing all the side effects. You are going to keep talking to your mom and keep her company. I will also check if Whale if you can be released today." Emma said.

"Okay…" Regina said. Emma then went to walk out of the room. "Emma…" Regina called stopping Emma in her tracks. "Thank you."

"No problem." Emma said with a smile. She then walked out of the room and walked down the corridor to try and find Doctor Whale. She soon found him in his office and knocked on the door before walking in not waiting on him saying anything. "I need to talk to you about a couple of things to do with Regina."

"What do you need to talk about?" Doctor Whale asked as he looked up at Emma.

"Regina has been having a few side effects since taking the medication you prescribed to her. Some side effects that I wouldn't have thought she should be having." Emma said.

"Like what?" Doctor Whale questioned.

"She has been having some nightmares and she says she has felt like her magic is being blocked and backfires against her, resulting in her getting hurt in some way. Those don't seem like your normal side effects to taking some medication." Emma said.

Doctor Whale nodded. "And she is sure it is the medication?"

"Yes and I believe her." Emma said. She looked at Doctor Whale for a minute, watching his facial expressions. She could see he knew exactly what she was talking about . "You knew the medication would do something like that to her didn't you?" Emma asked, anger slowly rising up in her. "What was it some kind of revenge?"

"No…not quite." Whale said. "When Regina came into the hospital the blue fairy and I saw this as an opportunity to perhaps block Regina's magic to ensure the towns safety. With how emotional Regina is and was at the time we thought it best for everyone if Regina couldn't use her magic. The nightmares I didn't know anything about." Whale explained.

"So you blocked her magic without her consent?" Emma asked angrily.

"Well we didn't think she would agree with it. It was our only choice. The town is much safer when Regina's magic is blocked." Whale said.

"You can't do something like that to a person!" Emma said furiously. "I can't believe that you and the blue fairy did this to her."

"We done it for the good of the town." Doctor Whale said with a shrug.

"Yea you keep telling yourself that. Well you can fix it by prescribing Regina with normal medication and if you even try another stunt like you did I will make sure you regret it." Emma said leaning on Whale's desk. "Do you understand me?"

Whale stared at Emma for a minute before nodding his head. "Yes I understand you."

"Good. Now get Regina some release papers. We are getting out of here." Emma said firmly before turning on her heel and making her way out of the office and back towards Regina's room.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Hello everyone! Here is a chapter for you. I am thinking of bringing this story to a close soon. Not entirely sure on how many chapters left yet but hopefully will work that out soon. I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

 ** _PS. I was hoping for some opinions? Should Emma and Regina start seeing one another or should they stay as friends? What do we all think?_**

* * *

Emma walked back into Regina's hospital room. She was still fuming from her conversation with Whale. She couldn't believe what him and the blue fairy had done to Regina. In a way she could believe Whale doing something like that but the blue fairy was suppose to be a hero right? What kind of hero would trick a vulnerable woman? It made her angry and she intended on letting the blue fairy know exactly how angry she was about it.

Regina looked up as Emma stomped into the room, she had been lost in her thoughts as she stared out the window. "Did you talk to Doctor Whale?" Regina asked.

"Yes." Emma responded sharply and she started to pace around the hospital room to try and calm her anger down. "You were right. Your medication was messing with you. Whale and the blue fairy decided to try and block your magic, putting something in the medication to do so."

"Without letting me know? They do realise how dangerous that can be?" Regina said.

"Obviously not…either that or they didn't care how dangerous it could be. Whale said they done it for the good of the town." Emma replied furiously. "I think they both done it for themselves personally. I cannot believe this! Two guys who claim to be on the heroes side and they do this to you!"

"What's going to happen now? With my medication I mean…" Regina said.

"I told him to prescribe you normal medication and if he even thought of putting something in it this time I would make him regret it. The slimy little…" Emma started but trailed off taking a deep breath. She then looked around the hospital room, for the first time since entering seeing that Henry wasn't in the room. "Where's the kid?"

"Oh he went to the vending machine. He insisted on getting me some chocolate, telling me it would help me." Regina said with a shrug.

"Sounds more like he wanted chocolate and is using you for the excuse." Emma replied with a smirk on her face.

"Yes I picked up on that but thought I'd let him have this one." Regina said with a smirk of her own. "Am I being released today? I really don't think I need to stay here."

"I told Whale to sort out your release papers. Don't worry you won't be staying here." Emma said.

"Good." Regina let out a sigh of relief. She hated hospitals and she really didn't want to spend any more time than needed in here.

Henry came back into the room two chocolate bars in hand and smiled at his mothers. "Got you your favourite mom." Henry said as he walked over to the bed and handed Regina the chocolate bar.

"Thank you sweetheart." Regina said with a smile.

"Hey where's mine?" Emma asked feigning a hurt look on her face.

"Sorry forgot." Henry said with a shrug that made Regina laugh a little.

"Charming." Emma muttered and crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face as she watched Henry and Regina talk. She was happy that they were forming their bond once more. She knew the time Henry spent away from his mother he had missed her terribly. He may have called her the Evil Queen but Emma was sure that he really didn't believe his mother was that person. "So erm…Do you want to get yourself ready to go? I am sure Whale won't take too long in organising your realise. Not with the way I was with him." Emma said.

Regina nodded her head and Henry picked up her clothes and passed them over to her. She thanked him as she shuffled out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom. She glanced back one more time giving a small smile before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Henry turned to Emma and gave his blonde mother a smile. "I really think things are going to get better now we know what has been going on with mom and her medication. I really think she will feel better after all this."

"I hope so kid." Emma said wrapping the boy up in a one armed hug. "But still…give your mother time. We may have figured out that her medication was harming her but she still needs to work on things that happened before the medication and how she was feeling before."

"The new medication will help with that won't it?" Henry asked.

Emma nodded. "Yes it will but there is plenty more that can be done to help your mom out a bit more. We are going to do everything we can to help her Henry. I promise you that. I maybe didn't do as well as I had promised before but I will definitely be upping my game now. We are going to get your mom better."

Henry grinned up at Emma and threw himself into her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you." He said in a whisper.

* * *

Whale sheepishly walked into Regina's room with her release papers and her new medication. Regina signed whatever she needed to and she picked up the new medication bottle and held it up. "And this is just normal medication? Nothing you and the blue fairy have mixed up this time?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and stern look on her face which made Emma smirk. That was the Regina she knew.

"It is normal medication. The blue fairy and I have done nothing to it." Whale said with a sigh.

"Which is how it should have been the first time." Emma muttered.

"For your information Doctor I am trying not to use my magic…something you would have been able to know if you would have only asked." Regina said sassily. "There was no need to try and bond my magic. I have no want to burn the town and the people." Regina then slipped off of the bed and looked to Henry. "Shall we head off?"

Henry nodded and hurried to his mother's side. Regina wrapped her arm around him and they walked out of the room with Emma following them, all the while smirking at the fact Regina had put Whale back in his place. Perhaps Henry was right. Maybe things really were about to get so much better.

* * *

A few months had passed and Regina had been taking her medication without much fuss and had been asked by Emma and Henry to let them know if any of the symptoms from before occurred. Luckily they had not and Regina felt much better for it. The nightmares and pain were no longer and she didn't feel alone. She had ventured downstairs a lot more and spent time with Henry and even Emma, having managed to go the whole time with them arguing about something.

Regina was now sat in Archie's office, having decided to go to him instead of the doctor going to her. She wanted to try and venture out a bit more. She needed to push herself. It was the only way she was going to get back on track and she knew it. So here she was sat in a stuffy office with the sun blaring through the windows. She sat poker straight with her hands folded in her lap. She couldn't help it. Her mother had trained her to do so and when she was queen she hadn't dared to slip.

"So Regina how are you feeling?" Archie said after the long silence.

"Better…" Regina said but trailed off as she really thought about how she felt. She did feel better, a lot better in fact. The medication was helping her and she was sure having Henry and Emma around was a lot to do with the fact that she was feeling better but she did still feel sad, heartbroken about her mother being dead. Her mother may have been cruel to her at times but she was still her mother and no matter what she did love her. She was still angry at Snow White for tricking her.

"But?" Archie questioned. He was pushing Regina. He knew it was the only way to get anything out of her.

"I still feel sad, whenever I think of my mother." Regina answered.

"Understandable. You lost her Regina. Greif over a loved one doesn't just go away over a few weeks. It takes time to get over the loss of a loved one." Archie said.

Regina nodded. "My mother was cruel and heartless. She made my life a misery when I was young but I still loved her…it makes me question whether there was…is something wrong with me."

"She was your mother Regina. Often a victim of abuse does love the one who is abusing them." Archie said.

"I think deep down, in her own way she did really love me. Even if she didn't have her heart." Regina said. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She was showing her vulnerability which she hated but she knew Archie wouldn't tell a soul. "I have to believe she loved me." She said in a mere whisper.

"I am more than sure that your mother did love you Regina. She perhaps just showed her love in the only way she knew how. You, yourself told Henry that you didn't know how to love very well…perhaps your mother was the same, therefore she could not teach you. When you feel something Regina, you feel it with your entire soul. It can be dangerous but it is also very powerful." Archie replied.

Regina just looked at Archie, tears pooling in her eyes and beginning to spill over. "Sometimes it feels like it physically hurts me…like my heart is literally broken but then I spend time with Henry and with Emma and the pain…it just goes away."

"Well then I suggest you continue to spend time with them." Archie said with a smile. His smile then disappeared a he asked his next question. "Have you spoken to Mary-Margaret yet? About what happened?"

Regina shook her head. "I'm scared to be in the same room as her. I'm scared that I won't be able to control myself or my magic if I am in the same room as her." Regina said gritting her teeth a little.

"I suggest you talk to her Regina. It will truly help your recovery. To confront the person who has hurt you. I also suggest if you don't trust yourself to talk with her in a crowded place or with people around you that you know will be able to help you control your feelings and your magic." Archie suggested.

"It will help with my recovery?" Regina questioned with a sigh. Talking with Mary-Margaret was the last thing she wanted to do. She would be quite happy if she never saw the woman again. The cuts were deep and she wanted to forget about her.

"It will Regina. You need to confront her. I also suggest something to let out your anger. Bottling up your anger will do you no good." Archie said.

Regina nodded her head. She then glanced up at the clock. Her session was over. She pushed herself up from the sofa and smoothed her hands over her dress. "Thank you Doctor Hopper." She said with a smile. "Same time next week." She said with a turn on her heel and she headed towards the door.

"I will see you next week Regina." He said as he watched her exiting his office.

* * *

Regina made her way down to the Sheriff's station. Emma had gone back to work, Regina insisting she was okay to be left alone for the time Emma was at work. She didn't need a babysitter. She did miss the blonde sheriff however and did tend to visit her quite often.

Her heels clicked on the flooring as she walked over to Emma's desk where she was sat with her feet up eating a bear claw and reading over paper work. "Well you look busy…" Regina purred out with a smirk.

"Incredibly so. As you can see we are run off our feet." Emma replied back sarcastically with a smile. She sat up, dropping her feet to the floor and leaning her elbows on the desk. "What can I do for you Regina? Or is this just another social call?"

"I have just come from my session with Doctor Hopper." Regina started as she sat down on a seat in front of Emma's desk.

"Oh…How did it go this week?" Emma asked.

"Usual…however he did suggest your mother and I talk." Regina said.

"Really?" Emma asked, her voice squeaking slightly.

Regina tried not to laugh. "Yes. Claims it will help with my recovery if we talk and I confront her about what happened with my mother."

"I guess I can see what he is saying." Emma replied. "How do you feel about that? I mean last time you saw my mother you weren't overly keen on her being there."

"Yes well I had just returned from the hospital after having…" Regina trailed off. She still couldn't say out loud what she had done, what she had almost done. "I was bound to be a little annoyed with her being there."

"I guess." Emma shrugged.

"Doctor Hopper has suggested we talk in a crowded area or have people around that I trust to help control my magic and anger. So I was wondering if you would be there when I talk with your mother?" Regina said.

Emma's eyes widened. Sure she and Regina were getting along better but she didn't realise that Regina trusted her so much. "You trust me to help you control your magic and anger?"

Regina nodded her head. "I do."

"Well then I will be there." Emma said.

"Good." Regina smiled. She then leaned forward a little. "I have another favour. Doctor Hopper says I need to find something to get my anger out…"

"Okay. What were you thinking?" Emma asked.

"I was wondering if you would take me to the shooting range?" Regina asked.


	14. Chapter 14

**_So here is another this chapter we see Mary-Margaret and Regina talk about everything that happens. A way to help Regina through everything that has happened. Hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

Two days had passed and Emma had arranged for Mary-Margaret and Regina to meet up and talk. Emma had arranged for them to meet at Grannies, deciding a public place would be the best and it might help Regina with the control of her magic. Henry was at school. It was lunch time and Emma and Regina were walking down the street towards the diner.

"How you feeling?" Emma asked. She glanced over to Regina.

Regina let out a small sigh. "I feel…okay. Better than I think I would have if we hadn't been to the shooting range before this." Regina replied.

Emma nodded a little. "I still don't know how you can go to the shooting range in a tight skirt and heels."

Regina shrugged her shoulders. "Dressing like this…makes me feel more like me again…I guess." Emma didn't respond. She could understand where Regina was coming from and she was happy to see Regina venturing out and dressing more like the woman she knew. It was nice to see. She knew Regina still had a long way to go to being back to her old self but at least she was improving day by day. They stopped outside of the diner and Emma glanced back to Regina who had stopped at the steps. "Whatever happens Emma, make sure I don't use my magic. I not only promised Henry but I promised myself that I wouldn't use my magic for dark purposes and I really don't want to break it."

"Don't worry Regina. I will make sure you will be okay." Emma said placing her hand on Regina's arm. "Just remember and breath if you can feel yourself getting angry. Do the whole count to ten thing that Archie advised and take a moment. I know this is going to be hard but I do agree with Archie. I do think this will help you in the long run with your recovery."

Regina nodded her head. She then stepped forward and Emma turned on her heel and they both walked up the steps to the diner and entered, the bell hovering above the door tingling and announcing their entrance. All eyes flew to the door and Regina felt herself getting nervous. She shook it off, straightened her back and held her head up high. Looking more and more like the regal queen she once was. Emma looked around the diner and saw her mother sat in a booth at the back. She motioned to Regina and they weaved in and out of the tables and over towards the back booth. Emma slipped into the booth but Regina remained standing for a minute.

Mary-Margaret glanced up looking nervous. She looked as pale as ever and she chewed on her bottom lip. She wasn't sure if she should say anything. Should she be the first one to speak or should she wait and let Regina speak first. She had wanted David to be with her but since Emma was coming with Regina to help her out so David has to work.

"Regina?" Emma questioned softly placing her hand on Regina's. Regina stirred from her thinking and looked towards Emma. "You gonna sit down?" Regina nodded and she moved towards the chair. Emma shuffled over again and Regina sat down beside her, opposite Mary-Margaret. It had felt like years since she had been face to face with her. She placed her hands on the table and looked down at them. Piecing together in her head exactly what she wanted to say.

"Can I get you guys anything?" Ruby asked drawing all three women to look up at her. She was curious about this meeting. Mary-Margaret had told her about Regina's reaction when she saw her after leaving the hospital and this was the first time she had seen Regina since everything that had happened.

"Just a water please." Mary-Margaret said quietly.

"I'll have my usual hot chocolate." Emma said with a smile.

Ruby nodded and looked towards Regina. "Coffee please." She said. Ruby gave a smile before turning on her heel and walking away from the table. The awkward tension still hovering over it.

Emma looked from Mary-Margaret to Regina. You could cut the tension with a knife and she wasn't quite sure who would talk first. Emma knew how stubborn Regina could be but she wasn't quite sure if Mary-Margaret was willing to talk first. Emma looked to Mary-Margaret who was nervously chewing on her lip and kept glancing up at Regina who was still staring down at her hands. Emma knew if they were to get this over with then someone needed to start the talking. So she cleared her throat. "So someone needs to start talking about things…" She pressed.

Regina looked up at Emma and was just about to say something when Ruby came over, interrupting her and sending her gaze back down to her hands. "Here's your drink order. Can I get you anything else?" Ruby said.

"No thanks." Emma replied quickly. "Just maybe make sure we aren't disturbed please."

"Sure thing." Ruby replied before turning on her heel and walking away from the three women.

"Okay…let's get this started." Emma said. "The sooner we start this the sooner it is over."

Regina looked up again, looking from Emma to Mary-Margaret. She didn't really know what to say. Since Emma had set up this meeting for her she had been trying to figure out what she wanted to say to the young woman she once saw as her stepdaughter. The young woman who had been her enemy for so long and the young woman who had tricked her into killing her own mother. She had come up with nothing and thought perhaps when she saw her she would know what to say but even not, sat right in front of her she had no idea what she wanted to say to her. Regina was good with her words. She could normally come up with something to say at the drop of a hat but this time…she was lost. Her mind buzzed but nothing came to the forefront.

"I wanted you to kill me…"Mary-Margaret said in a quiet voice surprising Emma and Regina that she had spoken up and with what she had said.

"What?" Regina huffed out with a puzzled look on her face.

Mary-Margaret let out a sigh. "Regina we have been fighting for so long…too long. I'm tired with it and I am sure that you are to. We need to stop all this fighting before someone else gets killed. Too many have lost their lives because of our fight." Mary-Margaret folded her hands together in front of her. "That's why I wanted you to kill me. I thought if you killed me then it would all be over. The fight would end and no one else would get hurt."

"I wouldn't have done it…" Regina said.

"Are you sure about that?" Mary-Margaret questioned. Emma looked from woman to woman her head turning as if she were watching a tennis game.

Regina nodded her head. "Henry would never forgive me if I done such a thing. I may have wanted to but I don't think I would have actually done it." Regina said. She leaned forward a little leaning her arms on the table a little more. "There were plenty of times in the past, in the Enchanted Forest that I really actually could have killed you. There were times you were in the palm of my hand…I had you, and I let you go, practically every time. I used to get annoyed. I killed many guards in my rage, some deserved it, some didn't." Regina said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I never understood why you always got away from my grasp…but thinking about it, now I know I let you go. I never truly wanted you dead."

"You certainly done a good job at hiding that." Mary-Margaret responded.

"Indeed I did." Regina replied. "I even hid if from myself."

"So even if I asked you…you are telling me that you wouldn't have killed me?" Mary-Margaret asked.

Regina shook her head. "No. I wouldn't have. You already have punishment for what you did, for what you made me do to my mother."

It was Mary-Margaret's turn to look puzzled, as well as Emma. "What do you mean?"

"Even without looking at it…I know you will have darkened your heart. You gave in to the darkness. You let it tempt you and you fell to it. There will be a dark spot in your heart and once you let that darkness in…It's hard to keep it out." Regina explained.

"No. I wouldn't let any darkness in." Mary-Margaret said tears pooling in her eyes.

"You already did by tricking me into killing my mother. Once darkness enters your heart it grows and grows…believe me I know." Regina said. "It can feed off you until you have nothing left in your life that you really care about. Luckily for you…you have people around you that love you enough to stop you from going down that road and they have done exactly that."

"You didn't…" Mary-Margaret said in more of a statement than a question. Her mind wandered back to those days where Regina seemed to spiral down into darkness. There was no one she could turn to and Mary-Margaret could see that now. She had been young and naive and saw Regina and her father being the King and Queen and imagined they loved one another, but as she grew up she realised the true relationship and feelings between the King and Queen. She, in a way, could understand Regina's resentment towards her. She lost the people that would have helped her keep away from the path of darkness. Thing's could have turned out so different. "But you do now. You have people around you to keep you on the right path."

"Yes…" Regina breathed out. She looked over to Emma and gave her a small smile. "I do. My mother…she knew what buttons she needed to press to get me on her side and pull me down into the darkness. She always did and she knew how to play on my want and need for being loved." Regina couldn't quite believe she was baring all but she knew she needed to. She knew it would help her. "My mother played on weaknesses, a trick I learnt but hated. Henry…he was the light I needed. When I adopted him I could feel light returning to my heart, the darkness I had let build up slowly started to fade slightly and light filtered through. When Emma came to town…I was losing Henry and the darkness started to fight its way back in. I was scared, I felt vulnerable. I couldn't let Henry go. But when the curse was broken and you and Emma were pulled into the portal I tried my damned hardest to be good for Henry. I wanted to let the light back into my life."

"And then I ruined that again." Mary-Margaret added.

"Slightly yes. My mother had a lot to do with it too. She was dragging me down that road and I let her. For that I can only blame myself. When you tricked me into killing my mother, I…it hurt me…really hurt me. My mother was the only family I really had left. Henry didn't really want to see me…didn't want to be around me. My father…" Regina trailed off. She still found it hard to address the fact she had killed her father. Even after all these years she could never forgive herself for what she had done. "My mother was all the family I had and then suddenly she was gone. I caught a glimpse of what she would have been like with her heart and then it was pulled away from me because of the curse you put on it. If you had asked me straight after that then you know…I probably would have killed you. I wouldn't have been able to control myself. But now, I know you have suffered with what you done. I don't need to kill you now."

Mary-Margaret bit her lip. "I have. I hated myself for what I did but I thought it was the only way to stop your mother."

"It probably was." Regina agreed. "My mother was a powerful woman. She would have become the dark one and probably destroyed this town."

"Are you saying you forgive me for what happened?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"I wouldn't go as far as to say that…I may not want to kill you but it doesn't mean that I forgive you completely for what you made me do. I'm not sure I ever will." Regina replied. "But…I can live with it…without harming you that is." Regina added with a slight smirk that seemed to ease the tension from around the table a little and Mary-Margaret gave a small nervous smile over to Regina.

"Well that's a good thing right?" Emma said.

Regina breathed out a chuckle and she nodded her head. "Yes it's a good thing. Things can finally move on."

"So…your feeling better?" Mary-Margaret asked, picking up her glass and taking a sip of her water.

Regina nodded her head. "Yes. Yes I am. I wouldn't say I am totally recovered but I am feeling better. More like myself I guess."

"I'm glad to hear it. When Emma phoned from the hospital…that night I…It made me feel even worse about what happened. I felt responsible in some way." Mary-Margaret said.

"You weren't. It was all me." Regina replied back. "I was the one that…took the pills." Regina said slowly. It was the first time she had actually really addressed what she had done. It took everything she had to say it and if she was honest she felt so much better after having said it. "I made the choice to try and end my life. I'm not going to blame anyone else. Not this time."

Emma smiled a little as this. She could really see that Regina had come a long way. She was happy to see it. Regina was finally getting the chance to truly redeem herself. To become the person she was meant to be. The three woman sat in the booth, drinking their drinks, light chatter filling the long silences between them. Barriers had been broken down that afternoon. Things weren't spic and span, they weren't squeaky clean again but things were being fixed.


	15. Chapter 15

Emma pulled up outside of the mansion and looked over to Henry giving him a smile. Henry returned her smile and they both then got out of the bug and Henry was quick to make his way up the path and up to the house. She watched for a moment before following after him. As they entered the mansion they could hear music. Henry followed the sound into the living room to see Regina sat at the grand piano. He ran over and sat on the edge of the stool watching his mother. Emma stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall and watched mother and son.

"You know how to play this song. Join in." Regina said softly as she glanced over to Henry. Henry grinned up at her before moving and sitting on the stool a little more and moving his hands to the keys and joining in with the song his mother was playing. It was an upbeat song and as Henry joined her Regina moved her fingers a little faster and Henry had to be quick to try and keep up with her.

"Hey you know I'm not as good as you!" Henry laughed as his fingers slipped hitting the wrong keys but he never gave up. He continued to playing along with his mother, who for the first time in a long time was actually laughing. So Henry continued what he was doing, enjoying the sound of his mother's laughter as he tried to keep up with her.

Emma smiled as she watched that and she too was happy to hear Regina laugh. She wasn't quite sure if she had ever heard Regina laugh. When she had arrived in town they argued. When the curse was broken they argued. When her mother came into town they argued. She had never had the chance to hear Regina laugh and she had to admit it was a beautiful sound. It was light and as she watched Regina's face you watched her light up, her eyes sparkling as she laughed. Emma thought she had never looked so beautiful.

She shook her head and pushed herself off of the wall and walked over to the grand piano, leaning on the back of it. "Pretty impressive." She said as she Regina slowed her fingers down and eventually stopped. Henry stopping with her.

Regina looked up and gave Emma a warm smile. "Thank you." She replied softly. She then turned to Henry. "Do you have homework young man?"

"Maybe…" Henry replied slowly.

Regina smirked a little. "Well you best go get it started if you want any hope of having free time tonight."

Henry let out a sigh and pushed himself up off the stool and grabbed his bag before exiting the room and heading upstairs. Emma watched him go and then turned back to Regina. "So how are you feeling?" She asked chewing on her bottom lip a little as she waited for her answer.

"I'm okay." Regina breathed out. "Really. I feel better than I have in such a long time."

"So the talk with Mary-Margaret did really helped you then." Emma said.

"If you tell that bug I will kill you." Regina muttered which made Emma laugh a little.

"There's the Regina I know." Emma joked. "I missed you." She said without really thinking about what she was saying.

"You missed me?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I…well…I-I mean…yea. Sure I missed you." Emma stuttered out trying to think how she could save herself from her confession. She hadn't meant to say it. She thought she had been saying it in her head. "Even when we were fighting…I didn't hate you…you know."

"You didn't?" Regina questioned. "You put on a pretty good act of disliking me then."

"Did you hate me?" Emma asked.

"I thought I did." Regina replied as she stood up from the piano stool. She walked around the piano and leaned beside Emma. "I was more than sure I did but really…I don't think it was hate I felt towards you. I think it was more anger."

"Because you thought I was taking Henry away from you." Emma said.

"You were. Perhaps not intentionally at first, but you were. I was losing Henry, even before he went and found you. He got that book and figured it all out and he was one step ahead of me. I couldn't catch up and that scared me and it hurt me. He seemed to hate me and that hurt me. I think it was perhaps the start of my downward spiral." Regina said, opening up to Emma. She couldn't quite believe she was opening up so much but she had a trust in the blonde woman beside her. "My mother dying was just the last straw."

"Are you saying you think you were depressed before your mother died?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded her head. "Deep down yes I do. I think it had already started when Henry started to reject me. I think maybe even before then. Maybe I had a tendency for it. The last time I felt that bad was when Daniel died and I had to marry the King. I didn't think there was anything worth living for any more. I didn't want to live anymore. But then I thought of revenge and I went to Rumplestiltskin and maybe it kept me busy. Kept me from thinking of ways to end it all. But here…when my mother died I didn't have anything to keep me busy anymore. Revenge was the last thing on my mind. I had been seeking revenge for so long that I was tired of it. I was too tired Emma."

"And now?" Emma asked.

"You helped me fight. You helped me see there is something to fight for and stay alive for. I'm not going to say I will never go down that road again. I am not going to say that I am back to 'normal' and I am happy and free from depression. Tomorrow I may wake up and I might feel sad and not want to leave the house. But today I feel good and I like feeling like this." Regina said with a smile on her face.

Emma stared at Regina for a minute. She loved her smile and she wished she could see it more often. She and Regina had been talking and Regina was sure that she would be okay to live on her own again. She didn't need to rely on Emma, she didn't need to be watched all the time anymore. She was okay. She was on the road to recovery. Yes she wasn't perfect, but who is? Emma had been sad to think she would have to move out of the mansion. She had become comfortable and she had to admit it was a hall of a lot better than living at the loft with her parents. She hadn't voiced this with Regina yet but she was putting off leaving as much as she could.

"Well I'm glad you feel happy." Emma smiled back.

"I was thinking that I would cook dinner tonight. I have missed cooking and I think Henry would probably appreciate it." Regina said pushing herself away from the piano and turning on her heel to leave the room.

Emma followed a small frown on her face. "Are you trying to say my cooking was bad?"

"I never said that." Regina said with a shrug.

"But you were implying it right?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe…a little." Regina said with a smirk as she glanced round at Emma.

"Charming. I cook for you and that's the thanks I get." Emma joked.

"I appreciate the effort you put in. It's the thought that counts Miss Swan." Regina threw back.

Emma chuckled a little. She had missed the banter between them. Even when they were arguing Emma was sure a lot of the time it was more banter. Emma stuffed her hands into her jean pockets as they entered the kitchen. She watched Regina busying herself and she leaned on the counter a little. "And I guess you probably want me to move out over the next couple of days…" Emma said deciding it best to broach the subject of her actually leaving. They had talked about Regina being better and being able to live on her own again but they had never actually mentioned the fact that Emma would have to leave the mansion.

Regina didn't reply and she didn't turn round to look at Emma. She just continued to look in the fridge. If she was honest she didn't want the blonde to leave. She had become used to her being around. It felt normal now. She picked out a few things from the fridge before turning on her heel, bumping the fridge door with her hip to close it and walking over to the kitchen counter. She looked up at Emma, searching her eyes for a moment. "I guess…would you go back to the loft?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded her head. "Yea. Not got anywhere else to go at the minute." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well…you could…you could always just stay. Here I mean." Regina stuttered out a little, falling over her words. "I mean only if you want to. It saves you being cramped up in the loft with your parents and then at least Henry gets to see you all the time." Regina said. _And I wouldn't lose you either._

"Really? You want me to stay?" Emma asked.

"Yes." Regina replied. "Even with all your annoying habits I wouldn't really mind you staying here. I have become used to you being around and like I say it would save you being cramped in that loft."

Emma smiled a little. "Well okay then. I will stay here with you guys."

Regina grinned back at her and then went about preparing the dinner. Emma couldn't help the happy and excited feeling that rushed through her. Regina wanted her to stay. She wanted her around. Things had really changed since their first meeting. Emma watched Regina and all the while wondered if Regina would ever agree to perhaps going on a date with her.

* * *

 _ **So as you probably gather most people have voted for Regina and Emma to start dating so I have planted the seed and we shall see how it all works out.**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys. I think this story will be ending soon. Not quite figured out how many chapters until the end but I am thinking perhaps a couple more. Should have a clearer view the next time I update I would imagine.**

 **I also want to promote my new story** _If the shoe fits_ **The story is loosly based off cinderella and is EvilCharming.**

 **Plot: Once Regina's father dies her stepmother and step sister take over the house and turn her into a maid. She spends the next couple of years just trying to keep her head down but when the Prince's ball is announced and a kind Fairy appears to Regina will she have a chance to attend the ball and find her Prince Charming who will save her?**

* * *

Emma had left Regina preparing dinner and had decided to go and break the news to her mother and father that she was going to stay with Regina at the mansion and wouldn't be staying at the loft anymore. She made her way up the stairs, jogging up the last couple and stopping in front of the door. She really hoped her parents wouldn't take this news badly. She knew they were desperate for her to go back to living with them but she really didn't want to go back to living with her parents, as much as she loved them and as much as she was so happy to have them in her life.

She placed her hand on the door handle, took a breath and then opened the door, walking in to see her mother and father sat at the table eating. They both looked over to the door, planting smiles onto their faces. "Sorry, I can come back later when you're finished eating." Emma said as she walked into the loft slightly.

"Oh don't be silly Emma." Mary-Margaret said, standing from the table and walking over to her. "Come in. Do you want something to eat?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"No thanks. I'm alright." Emma said. They both walked back over to the table and Mary-Margaret took her seat again while Emma sat next to her. "I was just coming here to talk to you guys about something."

"Is everything okay?" David asked.

"Yea everything's okay, great actually. Things have been great. Regina is doing so much better now and the kid is loving spending his time with her. I think things are back on track." Emma said.

"Well that's wonderful. I am glad to hear that." Mary-Margaret replied with a kind smile. "So what do you want to speak to us about?"

"I just wanted to talk to you guys about my living arrangements." Emma started.

"Oh will you be moving back in now that Regina is better? Your father and I have missed having both you and Henry around." Mary-Margaret said.

"Yea…well you see that's the thing…I was thinking about just staying with Regina at the mansion. Regina and I have talked about it and we both think it would be for the best." Emma said.

"You do?" David asked.

Emma nodded her head a little. "Yea. I mean there really isn't much space here and you two have talked about having another kid so when that happens things will get more cramped and well…Henry wants to stay with Regina anyway, he wouldn't have been coming back with me if I moved back here."

"Oh I see…" Mary-Margaret replied, not quite sure what else to say.

"I don't want you to feel that I didn't like staying with you guys, I did but I just think it might be good if I stayed at the mansion. It's roomier and I will get to see Henry all the time and if Regina has a bad day I will be there to make sure she is okay." Emma explained.

"And you say you and Regina have talked about this? She is okay with you staying with her?" David asked.

"Yea, she's the one who kind of suggested it." Emma said with a slight shrug.

"Well…I suppose if Regina is okay with it and it is what you want to do…" Mary-Margaret said.

"It is…and it's not as if I won't see you guys you know. I just think it's the best thing to do." Emma replied. "Anyway I better head off. I promised Henry I'd play him at this new video game Regina bought him." Emma said as she stood up from the table. "I'll see you at the station…" Emma said pointing at David. "And maybe we can have lunch at some point next week." Emma said looking to Mary-Margaret. She gave a wave before quickly exiting the loft. The awkwardness was becoming too much and she needed to get out of there.

* * *

"MOM!" Henry shouted causing Regina to quickly run out of the kitchen towards wherever the sound of her son shouting was.

"Henry what is it?" Regina asked in a worried voice as she headed towards the downstairs bathroom where she saw Henry stood in the doorway.

"Mom you need to get it." Henry said gabbing hold of Regina and moving round her so that he was behind her and using her as a shield.

"Get what Henry?" Regina asked trying to turn to look at Henry but Henry held onto her tightly.

"The spider mom! You need to get it. It's massive and is totally likely to kill me!" Henry whined a little pointing towards the big black spider that was sat beside the toilet. He sounded more and more like Emma every day.

Regina looked over to where Henry was pointing and smirked a little rolling her eyes. Henry had always been terrified of spiders, ever since he was a toddler. The first time he had seen a spider he had totally freaked out and hid himself behind Regina's legs not calming down until Regina caught the spider and he watched her flush it down the toilet and it was gone. "Henry I am more than sure the spider won't kill you. It's not even that big." Regina shrugged as she slowly walked into the bathroom.

"Mom be careful. What if it bites you?" Henry said as he reluctantly let Regina go so that she could get the spider.

"It won't Henry." Regina replied. She reached forward and got some toilet paper and then crouched down, slowly reaching forward and picking up the spider using the toilet roll. "See it's fine." Regina said standing up.

"Okay now flush it down the toilet mom." Henry said jumping a little.

"Hey what's going on?" Emma asked from behind Henry making the boy jump.

"There is a massive spider and mom is getting rid of it for me." Henry explained.

"Seriously kid? After everything you have seen you are terrified of spiders?" Emma said with a slight laugh.

"Well do you like them? They are the bad guys in most fantasy books and are usually killer spiders. Some spiders can kill you if they bite." Henry said in disbelief. He shivered a little.

Regina chuckled a little and shook her head. She then dropped the spider down the toilet and pressed the flush sending the spider away. "There you go my little prince." Regina said softly walking towards him and kissing the top of his head. "The spider is gone. You are safe."

"Thanks mom." Henry grinned and hugged her before quickly moving past and running towards the toilet.

Emma and Regina walked away, closing the door behind them and Emma followed Regina towards the kitchen. "So I would have totally had you pegged down as being scared of spiders." Emma said leaning on one of the counters.

"Oh really?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow. "I have never been afraid of them. After everything I have seen in my life spiders are the least of my worries." Regina said with a shrug. "How did it go with your parents?"

Emma let out a sigh. "Okay I think. It was a little awkward. I could tell they weren't majorly happy but they will get used to it. It's not as if they will never see me."

"True." Regina said with a slight nod as she checked on the dinner.

Emma watched Regina for a moment and wondered if now would be the best time to ask Regina out on a date. They were alone, Henry was probably busy reading a comic book or playing video games. It'd be best to just get it over and done with. At least then she would know where she stood. "So Regina…I was wondering…"

Regina looked up at Emma with curious eyes. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you would consider going out on a date with me?" Emma asked quickly. She felt her cheeks burn and she knew she was bright red.

"Oh…you want to go out on a date with me?" Regina questioned, a little taken aback.

"Yea…I mean I have felt, I dunno." Emma sighed. "I have felt as if we were getting closer, closer than friends maybe and I dunno…I just thought that maybe you might like to go on a date with me. But if I have picked up on the wrong signals then it's no bother." Emma said holding her hands up.

"No no…you haven't." Regina said quietly. "I just wasn't sure if you perhaps felt the same way."

"So if I haven't picked it up wrong…that means you would want to go out on a date with me?" Emma asked with a slight smile on her face.

Regina stayed silent for a moment before giving Emma a smile and replying with. "Yes Miss Swan. I would like to go out on a date with you."


	17. Chapter 17

_**Sorry to have kept you all waiting on this chapter. I hadn't forgotten about this story I promise. So here is the date we have been waiting for. I hope you all enjoy it.**_

* * *

Regina walked into the station, giving Emma a small smile as she looked up from her desk. "Hi. I'm here for my shooting session." Regina grinned as she leaned on Emma's desk a little. "And also to try get out of you what you are planning for our date tonight."

"Shooting session I can do. What is happening on the date tonight…that I can't do." Emma said with a smirk as she stood up from behind her desk. She walked around and looked Regina up and down a little. "I really do wish you would wear more appropriate clothing when doing a shooting session."

Regina glanced down at what she was wearing with a slight frown. It was her usual attire. Pencil skirt, green silk blouse and heels. "I don't know what you are talking about. I do fine in what I am wearing just now."

"You should be wearing comfier shoes." Emma said.

"Your just jealous because I shoot really well wearing heels." Regina said with a shrug as she turned on her heel and walked over towards the door that lead them to the shooting range in the station.

"That is so…not the point." Emma said slowly making Regina laugh. "Whatever…" Emma waved off as she smiled. She loved hearing Regina laugh. It really was a wonderful sound. They made their way down to the shooting range and Emma got out all the equipment they needed and handed it to Regina. "Okay let's get some frustration out." Emma grinned.

Regina put on the protective eye and ear equipment and then picked up the gun. She sorted the gun and then held it out in front of her, putting her feet in the stance Emma had taught her. She focused on the target, closing one of her eyes for a moment. She then glanced over at Emma who had all the protective equipment on now. She then looked back at the target. Focusing again and then started shooting.

Emma watched Regina, doing everything she had taught her and she smiled as Regina hit the target perfectly every time. She grinned as Regina shot a couple more times before she stopped, placing the gun on the side and looking over to Emma. Both women removed the protective ear equipment. "You're getting to good at this." Emma praised. "Think I'm gonna have to start getting worried. It's not just magic your good at now."

Regina chuckled a little. "Well I had a good teacher." She shrugged. "For the shooting that is."

"Oh really? Who was your teacher?" Emma questioned.

Regina looked over and laughed a little. "An annoying blonde who thinks she is some saviour."

"She sounds awesome to be honest with you." Emma shrugged.

"Did I forget to add she is a bit full of herself?" Regina asked with a smirk on her face.

Emma laughed. "You did yes."

"So you really won't tell me what you have planned for tonight?" Regina asked as she fiddled with the protective ear equipment.

"Nope. It is top secret. A mission between me and Henry." Emma said. Both women had decided to tell Henry about their impending relationship. They thought Henry should be involved in whatever was happening between them and they both knew Henry would keep their secret for them for as long as they needed to. Although they weren't planning on keeping their relationship secret for too long.

"Oh so Henry is in on this mission is he? I'm sure I could break him." Regina said with a slight shrug.

"Not gonna happen. The kid is awesome with secrets." Emma grinned. "No amount of convincing will get him to break the secret pact."

"We shall see about that." Regina smirked as she placed the protective ear equipment on her head again and went to do some more shooting. Emma did the same and that is how they spent most of the afternoon.

* * *

As Emma left the station she glanced down at her watch. She had a couple of hours to set things up for her and Regina's date and also get changed for the date. Since Regina didn't quite want to go public about their relationship just yet Emma really had to think about what they could do. She had thought about taking Regina out of Storybrooke but then she knew although Regina was feeling a lot better she still was sometimes quite anxious in situations she was unfamiliar with.

A restaurant in town was out of the question as she knew that would raise suspicions and they would be the talk of the town. She had been stumped and had resulted in going to their son for help. She had asked Henry what Regina liked doing and what he thought she should do for their first date. Henry had suggested a picnic. He had told Emma that Regina loved picnics and when he was younger they used to have a picnic lunch often when the weather was nice.

So that is what they were going to do. In Regina's back garden so that they could have some privacy. She smiled to herself as she entered the mansion. "Mom! In!" She heard Henry shout and as she walked up the couple of steps to the foyer she saw Henry pushing Regina from the kitchen.

"Henry what is going on?" Regina questioned, not quite sure why her son was pushing her out of the kitchen. She had only wanted to get herself a drink.

"You're not allowed anywhere near the kitchen or the garden." Henry ordered. "Don't even think about looking out of any of the windows." He said pointing a finger at her as she turned round to look at him.

"Why ever not?" Regina asked with a slight frown.

"That would be top secret. Right kid?" Emma said with a smirk on her face as she walked over to them and wrapped an arm around Henry's shoulders.

"Yep. Top secret." Henry said with a nod.

Regina rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. So their date would be in the back garden. Interesting. "Well I am all up for you and Emma having your secret but I really do want to get a drink." Regina replied.

"Allow me your majesty." Emma said bowing a little. Regina bit her lip to try and stop herself from laughing and rolled her eyes once again at the blonde. "How about some red wine?" She asked.

"That would be lovely." Regina smiled.

Emma gave a nod and returned Regina's smile before turning on her heel and heading towards the kitchen. She grabbed a wine glass out from the cupboard and then went to the fridge and pulled out one of the bottles of red wine. She popped the top and then poured Regina a good amount of wine in the glass before placing the wine bottle on the counter. She picked up the wine glass and walked out of the kitchen to see Henry guiding Regina towards the stairs.

"Go get ready mom. Relax in the bath for a bit." He insisted.

"Your wine ma'am." Emma smiled.

"Thank you." Regina said softly and she took the wine glass from Emma.

"Now go do what the kid says. Go relax in the bath while we sort things out down here." Emma said.

"Okay…I guess I can do that…" Regina said as she turned round and slowly walked up the stairs.

Both Henry and Emma watched her disappear and then Emma turned round to Henry. "Okay kid. How are we getting on?" Emma asked.

"Gramps and I picked up your food from Grannies on the way home from school. It just needs to be heat up. I have organised a nice area in the garden for you both. A blanket, some pillows, some fairy lights. And there is plenty of wine in the fridge." Henry said.

"Sounds good. Thanks for helping me out Henry. You are a star." Emma said wrapping Henry up in a tight hug.

"It's okay." Henry shrugged. "I am happy to help. I really want you and mom to have a good date. You make her happy." Henry smiled.

"We both do kid." Emma replied kissing the top of his head.

* * *

Regina had done what both Emma and Henry had asked her and relaxed in the bath. She had placed out scented candles, had put some bubble bath in and had soaked with her wine glass in her hand. It had been nice and yes it had been relaxing but there was always only so long Regina could do such a thing before getting bored. So after around forty-five minutes of forcing herself to stay in the bath and relax she had pushed herself up and climbed out the bath, placing her now empty wine glass on the bathroom counter and grabbing her crisp white fluffy towel and wrapping it around her.

She padded through to her bedroom and over to her walk in wardrobe. Pulling the doors open she walked in, the light in the wardrobe turning on as soon as she entered. She looked around her wondering what she should wear. She had gathered from Henry's insistence she not look out any windows looking out on the back garden that that is where she and Emma are having their date so that then put a stopper in what she had planned to wear on their date.

She had planned on wearing a nice tight red dress that clung to her in all the right places, showed a good amount of cleavage and really done her wonders but knowing now they would be in the back garden she thought the dress perhaps a bit too much. So she was back to thinking what she could wear. She ran her fingers over the many skirts she had and then onto the dresses and then the trousers. Her fingers touched the one pair of jeans she owned and she reached forward and pulled them gently from the hanger, letting the legs of the jeans fall down she held them up. They were black and skinny fit, not quite as skinny as Emma's but still would cling to her hips and show off her curves. She then walked over to her tops. She didn't want to look too dressed up but she also wanted to make an effort, even if they would only be sat in her back garden. It was their first date after all.

She skimmed through her tops until she found the one she was looking for. It was red, silk material. It was a shirt but sleeveless and she thought it perfect. The weather hadn't been too bad and it wasn't as if they would be far from the house if she needed to grab a jumper. She dropped her towel and walked over to grab some underwear, pulling it on and then pulling on her outfit. She walked out of the wardrobe and over to her floor length mirror. She gazed at her reflection moving her hands over her body.

She liked her outfit and smiled as she turned from side to side admiring herself a little. She then turned on her heel and headed back into her wardrobe. She grabbed a pair of red heels, yes they were only in her back garden but she was still going to wear heels. She would just have to cast some sort of spell to stop her heels sinking into the grass. She sat down on her bed, putting her shoes on. She then walked over to her vanity table sorting her hair, straightening it and then applying some make up.

Once she was finished she glanced over at the clock. It was seven o'clock and she was sure it must be okay for her to go downstairs now. So she stood up from her vanity table and made her way out of her bedroom and slowly down the stairs. As she reached the bottom she heard the door bell and then saw Henry running out of the living room.

"Henry stop running please." Regina said softly and Henry slowed himself down and walked the short distance to the door. He opened the door to reveal David and Regina gave the man a small smile. She hadn't seen him really since the first day she left the hospital. Hadn't been around if she had seen Mary-Margaret. "Hello." She said and he gave a nod and a smile to her.

"Hey gramps. I'm all ready." Henry said before turning on his heel and running over to Regina, crashing into her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "See you later mom." He said reaching up and placing a kiss on her cheek. He no longer needed to go on his tip toes to do such. He really was getting to big. "Have fun tonight." He whispered and then turned back round on his heel and heading back towards the door. "See ya Emma!" Henry shouted before stepping out the door and closing it behind him.

Regina couldn't help but chuckle at her son and she shook her head a little, looking down at the floor. She didn't notice Emma leaning on the kitchen doorframe, staring at her for a moment. Emma cleared her throat catching Regina's attention. Regina looked up and over and smiled as she saw Emma. She was wearing her usual skinny jeans but a nice, blue top that she was sure she had never seen on the blonde. Emma wore black ankle boots which Regina was sure were perhaps the better option that her red heels. "I didn't know Henry was staying over at your parents." Regina said as she turned a little to face Emma. She was nervous, could feel it bubbling in her stomach and that made her worse.

"He arranged it earlier. Said he wanted to give us time alone for our date." Emma said as she pushed herself off of the doorframe and slowly walked over to Regina.

Regina shifted a little on her heels and fiddled with her fingers. She tried to keep her breathing calm as Emma walked closer and closer to her. "Oh…" She breathed out and Emma stopped in front of her. She was close and she could almost feel the warmth off of the blondes body. "That was nice of him."

Emma breathed out a laugh. "Yes it was."

Regina glanced up at Emma, biting her lip a little. She didn't think she was going to be this nervous. She knew Emma, had grown close to Emma. She didn't understand why she was so nervous about this first date. "So…is everything ready? Am I permitted to see where we are having our first date?" Regina asked as she looked into Emma's emerald eyes.

Emma smiled at her and nodded her head. She reached forward and took Regina's hand in hers. "You are indeed." Emma said as she turned slightly and gently pulled Regina with her as they made their way over to the kitchen. They walked through the kitchen and over to the patio doors. Emma stopped causing Regina to bump into her slightly. She turned. "Now before we go outside I want to explain why we are having our first date here. I know that you want to keep our relationship a secret for now." Emma started. Regina was about to cut in but Emma held up her hand and continued to talk. "And I don't mind. I really don't mind keeping it a secret for now. But it did stomp me on where we could have our date. Keeping it secret of course meant we could not go and have dinner in town. I did think about going out of town but… well I wasn't quite sure if you were up for that so…I went to Henry and asked him what you liked to do."

"You asked our son for date advice?" Regina asked with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Hear me out." Emma laughed. "I wanted to know what you liked to do and Henry mentioned that you loved picnics and used to have picnics with him a lot when the weather was nice. So…" Emma said taking Regina's hand in hers again and guiding her out into the garden. They stood on the patio and looked out over to the trees in the back of the garden. A blanket had been placed underneath and fairy lights sprinkled all over lighting up the area and giving it a romantic feel, well Emma hoped it did. Pillows littered the blanket area and a picnic basket was sat in the middle. Regina smiled as she took in everything Emma and Henry had done to prepare their first date. They had even set up the patio heater for when it got colder. They had thought of everything. "What do you think?" Emma asked hopefully, hoping she had done the right thing in arranging this kind of date.

"Oh Emma…" Regina breathed out. She turned to look at Emma a little more, tears sparkling in her chocolate brown orbs. "I love it, everything. It is a perfect first date."

Emma couldn't help but release a sigh of relief. "Good." She grinned. "Let's get over there." She said and gently pulled Regina over, after Regina had waved her hand over the grass so that her heels wouldn't sink in. Once they reached the blanket Emma threw herself down in her usual manner and watched as Regina sank down gracefully, like the Queen that she is. She reached over and pulled the basket over and opened it. "Okay so…I know this may not seem as romantic as all this…" Emma said motioning to the fairy lights. "But you know how terrible a cook I am."

"Well at least you are finally admitting it." Regina sassed.

"Ha ha!" Emma replied. "I didn't want to ruin it all with trying to cook and failing so I got Henry and my dad to pick up take out from Grannies…and before you panic my dad still knows nothing."

"What did you tell him?" Regina asked cocking her head slightly.

"Just that we were staying in and I said I would cook and that was all he needed to know apparently." Emma shrugged and Regina couldn't help but laugh. Emma reached in and brought out the take out containers. "Okay so here is your usual I believe, chicken salad, a little plain and yuck if you ask me." Emma said as she handed Regina her salad.

Regina rolled her eyes as she took it from Emma. "Of course you would think that. It is something healthy. Let me guess what you have…grilled cheese? Or perhaps a greasy burger?" Regina said scrunching her face up at the thought.

Emma pulled out her container. "I have a burger and fries yes. Also a portion of onion rings." Emma said happily. Regina scrunched her face up again in disgust. "Have you even tried any of it?" Emma questioned as she opened up her containers.

"I have tried fries yes." Regina replied as she took a dainty mouthful of her salad.

"And onion rings? A burger?" Emma asked.

"No…why would I want to. You can practically see the grease on them." Regina replied.

"Oh come on." Emma said. She picked up an onion ring from the container and held it out to Regina. "Try one. Go on."

"I most certainly will not." Regina said shaking her head.

"Oh come on Regina. I will try a bit of your…leaf stuff if you try an onion ring." Emma said.

Regina chuckled a little. "Leaf stuff? You mean lettuce?"

"Yea sure." Emma shrugged. "I will try your lettuce if you try this onion ring. Amuse me here. I want to be able to say I have seen you eat an onion ring."

Regina rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. She looked down at the onion ring Emma held in her hand. It looked full of grease and completely and utterly so bad for you. She then glanced down at her salad, but if she could get Emma to attempt to eat a bit of her salad she supposed she could give this grease battered onion a go. She sighed again, shuffled a little in her spot and placed her container on the blanket beside her. She then lifted the biggest bit of lettuce in her salad and held that out to Emma. "Okay I will eat that onion ring if you eat this." She had a slight smirk on her face.

"You picked the biggest bit on purpose." Emma said a hint of a whine in her voice. Regina realised exactly where Henry got that from.

"Oh don't be a baby." Regina sassed. She reached forward and took the greasy onion ring in her hand and continued to hold the lettuce over to Emma. Emma huffed and took the lettuce from Regina. "You first." Regina said.

"I don't think so. I know your game. You'll make me eat this and then magic that away or something." Emma said shaking her head.

Regina smiled. Emma sometimes really could read her like a book. "Alright fine." Regina huffed out. She brought the onion ring closer to her lips. She could just about smell the grease on the food but what she wouldn't admit to Emma was that it smelled incredibly good. She opened her mouth and took a dainty bite of the onion ring, savouring the taste and trying not to show Emma that she actually was quite enjoying the greasy food.

"Seriously? You are eating that the wrong way. Just shove the whole thing in." Emma said.

"Eloquent as ever dear." Regina said with a roll of her eyes but she did as Emma said (not quite shoving) the onion ring placed into her mouth and she chewed on it until she finished.

"So?" Emma questioned. "What did you think?"

"It was alright…" Regina said. "Nice enough I guess but I really don't see the complete and utter fascination you have with it."

"Just can't win with some people." Emma smirked and Regina laughed.

"Okay your turn." Regina said motioning towards the lettuce. Emma picked up the lettuce and popped the whole bit in her mouth, chewing on it and then swallowing. "Well?"

"Not as bad as I thought but I'm not sure I would eat it as much as you do. You seem to live on salads." Emma said.

"Just how I was taught I guess." Regina shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

Regina bit her lip a little and she played with the salad left in the container. She had never been a big eater (her mother's teachings) but since everything that had happened over the past few months her appetite seemed to lack even more. She wasn't quite sure what it was, perhaps it was the old pills and how they made her feel. Sometimes she couldn't quite shift the feelings she got when on those pills that Whale and Blue had concocted. "Do you really want to know all about my past?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow as she tore her eyes away from her salad and back up to Emma.

"I want to know everything about you Regina…the good and the bad…providing you want me to know." Emma said. "There are little things that I know, either from you or my mother, but I want to hear everything from you."

Regina nodded and looked back to her salad. Some things in her past are hurtful, painful, too much for her even to think about at times but she guessed maybe talking about some things could help her. Archie had said talking was the best treatment but then she guessed he would say that regarding what his profession is. "My mother was very good at controlling me. I believe from the moment I was born she was teaching me and controlling me in some way. From a young age she controlled what I ate. She drummed into me that I needed to watch my figure. I wasn't to get fat, her words." Regina explained as she played with the leftover food in her container. "As I grew up I just done it because it is what she trained me to do."

"Is that why you don't eat an awful lot?" Emma asked her eyes glancing down to the not even half eaten salad.

"I guess so. My mother always said less was more. I was trained to eat like a lady, like a queen. Small mouthfuls, slow eating. Don't stuff your face, and don't over eat." Regina said. She looked up to Emma. "As queen I done what I had been trained to do."

"So you must think I eat like a pig." Emma said with a slight chuckle.

Regina laughed a little and dropped the plastic fork in her container. "No I don't. Perhaps at first I did but it doesn't bother me. Henry eats the same way, maybe that's why."

"You didn't try teach Henry the way your mother taught you." Emma said in more of a statement than an question.

Regina shook her head, a deep look in her eyes. "I might not have been able to love very well and Henry may have thought of me as the Evil Queen for a little while but I would never have put him through what my mother put me through." Regina said. "It probably seems ridiculous but no matter what my mother done to me I always seemed to run back to her. If she called to me I would go running. She could say jump and I would ask her how high. I wanted her love so desperately that I was ready to do anything to get it from her. Praise and love was all I wanted but she made me fight for it."

"It doesn't sound ridiculous to want those things Regina. Everyone wants that in their lives. Especially from their mothers." Emma said. Emma bit her lip for a moment. She had been wanting to ask Regina a question but had never been sure of the right time. With how Regina was she wasn't sure if there would ever be a right time but perhaps maybe now she could try. "You don't have to answer this…not if you don't want to but, I have always wondered exactly what you thought when your mother died? Like, did you realise then how she treated you?"

Regina sucked in a breath as Emma's question hit her. It was a question she didn't dare ask herself but maybe it was time to address it. "Yes and no." Regina answered. She thought about how she wanted to word her answer. "I still love my mother and I don't think that will ever change. No matter what she done I love her. I have been told by Dr Hopper that it is normal even if she did abuse me in some way but…" Regina took in a breath and slowly released it. "Over the months of my…depression…when I was taking those bad pills and I was having nightmares, nightmares that I had had so often but somehow because of everything they came to me in a clearer and different way…I started to really understand everything my mother had done to me. She didn't do it out of love like I had told myself. She done it because she wanted to mould herself the perfect Queen. She wanted to mould me into someone who could take power and wield it exactly how she wanted. She done things to me that some people could never even imagine. So I guess yes. I did realise then how she had treated me and I started to put things in perspective."

"When I met your mother I realised you really did have a story behind you. I don't want to speak ill of her but…well she scared the hell out of me." Emma said.

Regina chuckled a little. "That's not speaking ill of her. She would have loved to hear that you were scared of her. She liked instilling fear. She was good at it. She certainly practiced it on me." Regina said. Her mind wandered, a deep memory in her head but she shook it away and looked back towards Emma. "But enough about my mother and the horrible things she has done. We should talk about something else."

"Okay…" Emma said with a nod. "What's your favourite colour?"

"You're really asking me what my favourite colour is?" Regina asked cocking her head to the side a little.

"Told you I want to know everything about you. So spill." Emma said.

"Alright." Regina said. "My favourite colour is blue. Light blue. When I was younger I had this gown that was this beautiful soft light blue. It was my favourite dress. Whenever I wore it I just felt so happy. No matter what was happening." Regina answered. "What's yours?"

"Yellow." Emma said simply.

"Well that's a surprise." Regina sassed. "Why do you like yellow?"

"I don't know. I guess like you the colour just makes me happy. Reminds me of the sun. When I was little I would hide out at the park, lie on the grass and under the sun. Feel the heat on my skin and I would pretend I was somewhere else. Somewhere happier." Emma explained.

"Is that why you got attached to that death trap of a car?" Regina asked with a smile.

"How many times do I have to say to be nice to my car?" Emma laughed. Regina shrugged. "I guess so. The colour just caught my eye." Emma looked down at her lap and then back up to Regina. "Tell me about Henry. When he was little." There was a sad look in Emma's eyes.

"What would you like to know?" Regina asked.

"What was his first word?"

"No." Regina said simply. "Once he learnt it that was it. He wouldn't stop saying it. For everything it was no. I had to try and work out a formula for when he really meant no and for when he wasn't actually meaning no." Emma laughed. "I remember one time, when he had learned a few more words, we had been out in the garden. I was tidying things up and he was apparently making a pie for me out of mud. I let him do whatever he wanted. He was only perhaps two. Once we were finished he was caked in mud and I knew that it was going to be a nightmare to clean him. When I tried to lift him he insisted he could walk himself…" Regina said as he mind drifted off into the memory.

 _"No mommy I walk." Henry said stubbornly as he stomped his foot on the patio. He was covered from head to toe in mud. Regina wasn't sure if there was a part of him not covered in mud. Her white kitchen was going to get covered as they walked into the house and she knew it. Her walls were no longer going to be the cream colour that they are._

 _"Henry sweetheart Mommy needs to carry you into the house." Regina said softly as she crouched down to Henry's level. "We need to get you into the bath."_

 _That was the wrong thing to say to the small boy. Henry seemed to be on a bath strike as of late and the mere mention of a bath had him off hiding in the strangest of places. Regina had found him curled up in a suitcase the other day. If she hadn't been in such a panic at not being able to find him she might have thought it funny. "No bath mommy." He scowled and crossed his arms across his chest. "No like bath."_

 _"I know sweetheart but look at all this mud. You can't stay covered in mud." Regina said._

 _"No go in bath." Henry said determinedly._

 _Regina had a feeling this was going to end in a tantrum, another new thing with Henry. His recent tantrums had caught Regina by surprise. It wasn't often but it was enough and she had no idea quite how to deal with them. She tried to appease Henry but sometimes there was no stopping the tantrum that would follow an annoyed little Henry. Regina stood up, brushed the dirt from the trousers she had been wearing. "Okay Henry. I guess you will have to stay out here then." Regina said trying something new._

 _"Yea. I stay out and play." Henry said happily. The plan backfired clearly but Regina decided to just continue. See how long it would last._

 _"Okay. Bye Henry." Regina said as she walked towards the house. She left the patio door open and hid to the side of the kitchen counter. She watched as Henry looked around a little confused clearly not expecting his mother to give in and leave him out in the garden. He had obviously expected more of a fight. Even at a young age her Henry wasn't stupid. He knew what he was doing and when he was winding Regina around his little finger. She watched him closely as he scuffed his feet and looked down at the ground._

 _It was then that a spider came running over to him. Henry squealed and he jumped away turning quickly and running towards the patio doors. "Mommy! Mommy!" He shrieked. "Mommy don't like it!" He squealed as he ran into the kitchen and right into Regina's arms. He clung to her and scrambled to climb up into her arms so she would carry him. Regina couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips. "Mean spider scare me mommy." He mumbled as he rested his head on her shoulder and Regina didn't even care if she was now covered in mud. She had her son in her arms and he was cuddling her._

 _"It's alright my darling. The mean spider won't hurt you. I'm here." Regina said softly as she rubbed her hand over his back and carried him out of the kitchen and upstairs to get him washed._

Regina smiled at the memory. Emma smiling too as she pictured it in her head. "So is that where the spider fear came from?" Emma asked.

"I think it was one of the first moments of that yes." Regina said. "He would always cling to me when he saw a spider."

"When was his first steps?" Emma asked.

"He was a month shy of his first birthday. He had been daring to for weeks. standing on his own and every time it seemed he would he just dropped down. There was one Saturday I had to go into the office but had no one to look after Henry. I took him with me. He was into everything. As soon as he could crawl that was it. He pulled everything out of every cupboard and made quite the mess. My office looked a bit of a bombsite when he was done. I remember him pulling himself up using the sofa in my office. I kept glancing over to him making sure he was safe and then he turned to me giving me this big toothy grin. He just let go and started walking, his hands up to me. He fell on his bottom just before he got to my desk but I was up on my feet quickly picking him up and placing him a little way from me. He took steps again and walked straight into my arms." Regina explained.

"That must have been wonderful to see." Emma smiled.

"It was." Regina said thoughtfully. Regina then glanced over to Emma. "If you don't mind me asking, but what really made you give Henry away? Was it just to give him his best chance?" Regina asked.

"Wow. That's a tough question." Emma said. "Erm…" She thought about how best she could answer this question. it was a question she had asked herself many times over the years. "Giving him his best chance was a big part of the reason for my giving him away. I felt that if I kept him I couldn't give him that. I mean I was still in prison when I had him. Not exactly the best start to his life with me."

"I am sure you would have made it up to him." Regina said as she placed her hand on top of Emma's.

"But then he wouldn't have had you." Emma said looking up into Regina's eyes. "I believe he did get his best chance with you Regina. Even after the whole thing with him calling you the Evil Queen and with everything that happened I know more than anything that you tried to give him the best in this world. You say you don't love very well but you clearly love Henry and always have. I was scared. I was eighteen years old and could barely look after myself never mind a little baby. I had no idea what to do. I was in prison, not much longer to go but long enough. I didn't feel I deserved him. I didn't deserve such an innocent little life. I didn't want to taint him."

"You felt that bad about yourself?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded. "Like you I have my demons in the past. As far as I knew my parents dumped me on the roadside and left me to freeze to death. I was dumped in so many foster homes, some okay, some really not so okay. As soon as I could I ran and then got myself into trouble. Trouble I couldn't get myself out of. I didn't want that for Henry. So I hoped and I prayed that there was someone out there who would love my little boy unconditionally. And there was. You."

Regina's eyes sparkled with tears. Tears that threatened to fall. She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "I tried to. With everything I had in me I loved Henry. I gave him everything. Everything he wanted he got."

"He really does have you wrapped around his little finger." Emma said laughing and nudging Regina a little.

"I wouldn't even deny it." Regina breathed out a laugh.

"Wow we have picked some really deep conversations for our first date." Emma said.

"We really have." Regina nodded.

The sat in silence for a minute before Emma looked over at Regina again. "Okay so do you share Henry's love for Star Wars?" She asked making Regina laugh a little again. It seemed the two of them could really talk about anything.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Here's another chapter for you all. I am still trying to work out how to end this story. I can't quite seem to come up with the perfect way to end it. If anyone has any ideas on how it should end or how they could see the story ending feel free to let me know.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

Henry jumped out of his Grandpa's truck, giving him a wave and shouting his goodbye. He grabbed his bag, shut the door behind him and darted down the pathway towards the mansion. He had spent most of the night wondering how his mother's date had gone. He wondered if Emma had managed to impress his mom and if the picnic had gone down as well as he had thought it would. He burst through the door. "I'm home!" He called as he kicked the door closed behind him. He kicked his shoes off and they landed practically on the shoe rack, more on the floor but at least a bit of his shoes were touching it so he counted that. He chucked his bag down beside them and then hurried up the couple of steps to the foyer. "Mom? Emma?" He called.

"Hey kid." Emma smiled as she walked out of the living room. She walked over and gave him a hug. "You have fun with your grandparents?" She asked ruffling his messy brown locks.

"Yea. It was good." Henry said. "Where's mom?" He asked looking around him.

"She's in the shower." Emma replied. "We both woke up later than normal."

"Ew." Henry said scrunching his face up a little.

Emma rolled her eyes and pushed him playfully. "Nothing to do with that. We were in separate bedrooms last night thank you very much." Emma replied. "We just got to bed pretty late. Stayed up talking. Getting to know one another a bit better."

"So the date went well?" Henry asked a hopeful and happy look in his eyes.

"Yes. The date went well." Emma said with a smile.

"I am so glad." Henry said clapping his hands excitedly. "I knew the picnic was a good idea."

"When you're right, your right kid." Emma agreed.

* * *

A month or so had passed. Regina and Emma had been on a couple more dates, things going well in their relationship but they still hadn't gone public yet. Regina had woken up in a slight worse for wear mood. She had a thumping head ache from the moment she opened her eyes and she just couldn't explain it but she just didn't feel happy. She knew she would have days like this but it still felt confusing when she had been feeling so much better.

She had managed to pull herself out of bed, even though she wanted nothing more than to stay curled up in bed all day, and was making her way downstairs. She could hear the radio on in the kitchen and she followed the noise, even if it was irritating her head. Walking in she saw Emma making breakfast and dancing around the kitchen. Emma looked round and flashed Regina a smile. "Good morning sunshine." Emma said happily.

"Is it?" Regina mumbled as she thumped down into a chair, placing her elbows on the table and her head in her hands.

Emma frowned at hearing Regina's unhappy tone, turning back round to look at the woman who she now called her girlfriend. "Hey what's wrong?" Emma asked as she dropped whatever she was doing and walked over to Regina. She crouched down at Regina's legs, placing her hands on her legs and giving a comforting squeeze. "Regina talk to me."

"Nothing's wrong." Regina muttered back, refusing to look at Emma.

"Well that's a lie right there. Remember my super power Regina. Come on. Tell me what's wrong." Emma said. "Doctor Hopper says…"

"It always helps to talk." Regina mimicked. "Yes I know." Regina sighed.

"Okay…so out with it." Emma replied.

"I just…I just woke up in a bad mood. My head is thumping and I just…I don't, why or how but I just don't feel happy." Regina said, tears in her eyes threatening to fall as she talked to Emma. Her emotions had been all over the place since everything that had happened and they hadn't quite bounced back and she hated that. She was showing Emma how vulnerable she was and although she was comfortable around Emma she didn't like showing that side of herself. "I don't want to feel like this."

"Oh Regina." Emma said. "Everyone wakes up in a bad mood. It's okay. I know you don't want to feel unhappy but sometimes it just happen and we can't explain why or how it just does. But we can try to fix it." Emma said.

"How?" Regina asked, finally looking to Emma, tears pooling in her eyes more.

"Well…for one we can sort out that headache." Emma said pushing herself up from the floor and walking over to a cupboard, taking out a first aid kit and opening it to find some pain killers that Regina stored in there. She walked back over to Regina, opening the bottle she put two pills on the table. "There we go. That should hopefully ease your headache off." Regina nodded and took both the pills with some water. "And your mood well I can try my best to cheer you up. Hey Henry is still at my mom and dad's and will be heading to school so we can do whatever you want. It's a nice day out…so think of something, anything you want to do and we will do it."

Regina bit her lip a little. "I…well I like to go to the beach…to clear my head sometimes." Regina said a little quieter. "Take a walk along the beach and just let my thoughts run away."

"Okay well we can do that. We can go clear your head out." Emma said with a smile. She then leaned forward and brushed her lips against Regina's, placing a hand on her cheek. "See when you talk to me I can help you." Emma said as she pulled away and smiled a little at Regina.

"Thank you Emma." Regina replied softly as she gazed up into Emma's green eyes.

"No need to thank me. I am here to help you and love you. Now go get yourself ready and we will get your head cleared." Emma replied with a smile. "I will make you a coffee while you get ready."

Regina gave a slight nod as she pushed herself up from the chair and turned to walk out of the kitchen. She really had grown to love Emma being around, to look after her and comfort her when she needed it. She felt loved with Emma and it was something she hadn't experienced often in her life. It was nice to finally have that and she never wanted to let it go.

* * *

Emma and Regina were now sat on a rock on the beach, looking out to the sea. They had sat in a comfortable silence for quite a while now, Emma just letting Regina relax and clear her head. She knew Regina needed this time and she wanted to help her as much as she could. If that meant staying quiet for a long period of time then she would do it.

Regina let out a sigh and glanced over to Emma. "Do you think I will ever be back to normal again?" Regina asked breaking their silence.

Emma looked over to Regina, pondering how to answer her question. "What's normal?" She replied with a shrug. "You yourself said you had been feeling depressed for a lot longer that you thought you had been. What is your normal? Or who's to say anyone or anything is normal? Everyone has good and bad days Regina. It's just learning how to control the bad days and get yourself back on top."

"I hate feeling like this…so out of control. This morning I just felt so out of control. Like I felt before. The bad feelings were just slowly taking over me and I could have let them do so again. I know I could have. It would have been so easy to just give in but I…" Regina said as she stared out to the water.

"You didn't." Emma finished.

Regina shook her head. "No I didn't."

"Surly that proves that you have become stronger. You are fighting against the depression you felt Regina. You are fighting against it so you don't go back down that way. I know it will be hard. There will be times where you think you won't be able to fight against it but you have me…and you have Henry. We will always be there to help you. We love you too much to ever lose you in any way." Emma said reaching over and taking Regina's hand in hers and giving it a light squeeze.

"I hate that Henry knows about all of this. He is a child. He shouldn't know about this. He shouldn't know about what I nearly done. His innocence has been ripped away from him." Regina replied with tears in her eyes.

"Perhaps he needed some of that innocence taken away from him." Emma said with a slight shrug. "I wish it had been done in a different way of course. I would never have wanted him to find you the way he did, and I know you hate that he did. But I do think that it is a good thing some of his innocence has been taken."

"Why do you think that?" Regina questioned.

"Because he saw everything so very black and white. There was no in-between for him. It was good verse evil and good always wins. He needed to learn that there are grey parts in-between the black and white. It's not all about heroes verses villains. Now…he understands you more Regina. He sees you as his mother rather than the Evil Queen. He needed to lose some innocence. He needed to grow a little and he has. The circumstances in which he did this, yeah they weren't so good but it happened and he has dealt with it well. He isn't as young as you think he is." Emma said with a slight smile.

"No. No he's not." Regina replied, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face. "He is growing up too quick."

"That he is." Emma agreed as she looked out to the water. He hand squeezed Regina's lightly and she pulled Regina's hand over to her lap. "I get why you like to come here and clear your head now. It really does work. It's nice down here."

"It is." Regina said with a slight sigh. "I feel that down here I am free…I can be who I want to be."

"You don't feel like that up in town?" Emma asked looking over to Regina. Regina shook her head. "Not even now?"

"No. I still sense the fear people have of me. I can see in their eyes that they still view me as the Evil Queen and it does hurt me but I understand why they still see me like that. After everything I did why wouldn't they? I done horrible things. Unimaginable things. Why wouldn't they fear me? Even though I have tried to redeem myself. It will take a lot for them to see me as I am now and I know that but it doesn't mean it doesn't get to me. Doesn't mean that I don't feel like I can be myself there." Regina explained. "Down here I don't have anyone watching me. There is no one judging me, fearing me or expecting anything from me. Since I was young I was trapped in a life that I never wanted. Trapped and manipulated into doing what someone else wanted me to. All I ever wanted was to be free and now…down here I am free. Well at least I feel it."

"You are free Regina." Emma said holding onto Regina's hand tightly. "There is no one trapping you or manipulating you now. You are free to be you."

"I still feel like something is holding me back." Regina sighed. "I don't know. Maybe it's just the past weighing down on me. Doctor Hopper said with my past it will take a while to work through it."

"Well I'm here to help you in any way I can Regina. I am here for you." Emma said bringing Regina's hand up to her lips and kissing it softly. "I want to help you."

"Thank you." Regina said giving Emma a small smile. "You have helped me so much already. More than you could ever imagine." Regina replied leaning over and brushing her lips against Emma's.


	19. Chapter 19

_**I am sorry that I haven't updated but my laptop decided to die on me so I had to go and get a new laptop and I thankfully managed to transfer all my ideas and what I had wrote up of the new stories I have planned. I was really panicking for a while!**_

 _ **Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**_

* * *

A couple of months had passed and Regina and Emma were lying in Regina's bed, tangled up in one another, Regina's head resting on Emma's shoulder with Emma's arms wrapped around her, holding her close to her body. Regina's fingers danced over Emma's toned stomach, making her flinch every so often when her fingers tickled her. A couple of weeks previously Regina had expressed to Emma that she was ready to move on a step with their relationship and things had become much more intimate between the two women.

Regina shuffled a little, getting into a comfier postion and letting out a small contented sigh. She had been thinking lately. Thinking a lot about herself and Emma. They had taken a big step in their relationship and Regina was pretty sure she was ready for more. She moved a little more, leaning up on her elbow, Emma's arm dropping a little to the bed. "Emma I'm ready." Regina said softly as she gazed into Emma's big green eyes.

"Already? Usually you like a bit more of a rest after our activities." Emma smirked.

Regina chuckled and shook her head. "No I don't mean that." Regina replied. "I mean that I am ready to tell people about us."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked with a frown, pushing herself up a little to look at Regina a bit better. "I mean we have already taken a big step recently and I don't want you to feel to pressured into doing too much too soon."

"I'm sure Emma. I don't want to hide anymore. I want to be able to walk down Main Street holding your hand, to kiss you in the street. To be with you and not feel like we have to watch everything we do or say." Regina said. "I..." Regina trailed off and ducked her head down a little.

"You what Regina?" Emma asked cupping Regina's cheek in her hand gently and making Regina look at her.

"I love you Emma." Regina said softly as she looked into Emma's eyes.

Emma smiled and she leaned over and gently brushed her lips against Regina's. "I love you too Regina."

"So do you want to tell people about us?" Regina asked.

"Of course I do." Emma smiled.

* * *

The next day Emma had arranged for herself and Regina to have lunch with her parents so that they could tell them first about them being a couple. They were now sat in grannies diner, in a booth, an awkward silence hanging over them.

Regina tapped her nails on the table as she stared at her glass of water, biting her lip while Emma looked around her. They had already ordered their food and gone through the usual small talk conversations.

"So...erm...is there any reason you wanted to have lunch with us? I mean the two of you?" David asked drawing both Emma and Regina to look over to him.

"Actually, yes there is." Emma said with a slight nod. She looked over to Regina who gave her a small smile. Emma looked back to her parents, taking a deep breath. "Over the past few months Regina and I have grown close, which I am sure you are aware of." Emma started.

"We presumed so with you still staying at Regina's house." Mary-Maragret said. "I am happy you have both become friends, through everything that has happened."

"Yea...well...we have become slightly more than just friends." Emma said. She then reached down, clasping Regina's hand in hers and bringing both their hands up to rest on top of the table. "Regina and I have been dating for a couple of months and we have decided that since things are going so well that we would start to tell people."

Mary-Margaret and David both glanced down to the womens joined hands and then up to look at the two women. They both weren't really sure what to say. They had noticed the teo women had grown closer, many had, but they hadn't quite expected to hear that they were dating. "I see..." Mary-Margaret said, not sure what else to say.

"A couple of months you have been dating?" David questioned.

Emma nodded her head. "Yes.."

"It is because of me that we haven't said anything before now." Regina added on, speaking for the first time since starting this conversation. "I...I didn't quite feel up for everyone knowing when we first started dating."

"Not only that we both didn't feel that everyone needed to know at the time." Emma said as she gently squeezed Regina's hand. "We wanted to see what would happen..."

"But now you feel ready to tell people?" David asked as he looked from Emma and then to Regina. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about this. It was nothing to do with his daughter loving a woman, it was more to do with the woman she had chosen. Yes things had calmed down between the three of them. Regina was no longer trying to kill Mary-Margaret and their feud had seemed to disappear with everything Regina had gone through but still he couldn't help but be on a slight edge with Regina, never sure if she used her magic would it be for good or for evil?

"We are yes." Emma grinned at her parents and brought Regina's hand up to her lips, placing a soft kiss to the back of her hand and glancing over to her, giving her a cheeky wink.

Regina smiled at Emma and then looked to David and Mary-Margaret. She knew they would take time to get used to this, to let everything sink in and she knew it wouldn't be the issue of Emma loving a woman but more Emma loving her. "I know this is a lot to take in." Regina started. "And I know after our...past...it might not be exactly what you wish for Emma but I want you both to know that I in no way intend to hurt Emma. I love Emma and I hope we can put the past fully behind us..."

Mary-Margaret looked into Regina's eyes as she spoke and she could see that Regina meant every word of what she said. "I hope we can do that too..." Mary-Margaret replied. "I'm...we..." She said as she placed her hand in David's. "Are very happy for you both. Aren't we David?" Mary-Maragret glanced over to David.

"Yea..Of course. If you are happy then we are happy." David smiled.

"Thank you. We are, really happy." Emma grinned as she shuffled closer to Regina who smiled back. "So...how have you guys been?" Emma asked hopefully breaking the awkwardness that had been around them.


	20. Chapter 20

**_Hey everyone! I am sorry it has taken me slightly longer to update this story but I have just recently moved house so my life has been in boxes and I have been busy packing and then unpacking as well as sorting out all my furniture. But everything is semi-sorted now so I am hoping to get this story finished now. In this chapter I have done a bit of a time jump and I'm not sure if the next chapter will be the last or if there will perhaps be another chapter and an epilogue. I need to decide how best to end this story. Anyway, please enjoy!_**

* * *

Regina and Emma spent the next week making themselves public to the rest of Storybrooke. When they went out together they held hands, the cosied up to one another and Emma even dared to kiss Regina in the middle of Main Street. They could tell everyone was staring at them. Watching them but they didn't care. Regina was nervous at times. She had her moments where she pulled away but she let Emma guide her and she basked in the love Emma and Henry showed her. She let them help her when she needed it amd together she found out they were much stronger.

* * *

Three years later...

It had been a manic three years. Everyone had accepted Regina and Emma as a couple, well mostly everyone and anyone who didn't were generally put in their place. Emma continued to stay in the mansion and within a year she and Regina were married, a simple ceremony with only close family and friends being invited. The ceremony being held in the mansion. It was all both women wanted and all they needed.

Emma walked into the living room to see Regina sat on the sofa, her feet up and in her arms cradling their beautiful sweet baby girl. They had talked about having a child a few months after they were married. Regina had shared with Emma how much she would love to experience pregnancy and so with that they decided to have a baby. Finding a doner was easy enough and surprisingly the whole process went easily and it didn't take long for Regina to fall pregnant.

Now they were both trying to get used to having a baby around, their little girl keeping them very busy, Regina especially as she seemed to like her food. "How is the little one?" Emma asked as she flopped down onto the sofa beside Regina and leaned over to look at their little girl who was now suckling on Regina.

"She is fine, hungry as usual." Regina replied staring down at the baby in her arms.

"We still need to come up with a name." Emma pressed looking up at Regina. "We can't keep calling her little one for the rest of her life."

Regina nodded. "I know...I just...I don't want to just pick a name because we have to. I don't want us to rush into it and then...I don't know...not like her name. I want her name to be special to us."

"I am more than sure we can come up with a name that is special to us." Emma said with a smile. She leaned back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling, thinking through lists of names she had in her head. Naming the baby was the hardest thing they had come across through the whole pregnancy. They had named so many names and each one of them said no to whatever the other said. "Are you sure Pheobe is out of the question?" Emma asked.

"Yes it is still out." Regina sighed as she moved the baby in her arms a little and covered herself back up. She leaned over and gently placed the baby in the basinet and then made herself comfy on the sofa and looking back at Emma.

"Okay...what about Emily?" Emma asked.

"To close to Emma. I want something different." Regina replied.

"Right." Emma said with a nod. "Rosie?" Regina shook her head. "Hannah?"

"Nope." Regina said shaking her head again. "Sarah?"

"No. I knew a Sarah when I was younger. She was horrible." Emma said, her face screwed up a little.

"Okay no Sarah then." Regina said.

"Oh you know what name I heard the other day that I thought was really nice..." Emma said as she pushed herself up on the sofa. "I was watching a tv show on Netflix when you were sleeping and a character in it had an unusal sort of name."

"What was it?" Regina asked.

"Aria." Emma said. "I looked it up and it means pure and chaste and also with it's link to music melodious. I think it would be perfect you know with you loving to play the piano and it calming you and all."

"Aria…" Regina repeated, she turned and looked down at the sleeping baby girl. "Aria..." She smiled as she looked down at their beautiful little girl. It was perfect. She suited it perfectly. "I love it." She smiled as she looked back round to Emma. "I think it is perfect for her."

"Really? You really do like it?" Emma smiled and Regina nodded. "Great!" Emma leaned up looking into the basinet. "Our little Aria."

"Aria Swan Mills." Regina smiled.

It hadn't been a good day. Regina had woken up with a raging headache, had hardly slept as it was and it seemed Aria was catching onto her mothers mood, spending most of the morning and afternoon crying her eyes out, showing her brunette mother than indeed her lungs worked perfectly well.

Regina had tried everything she could think of to try and calm Aria down. She had tried to feed her, Aria taking her milk a couple of times but clearly it wasn't what was wrong the rest of the times. She had changed her nappy, perhaps more than was really neccessary but she had no idea what else to do. Putting her down for a nap didn't work either, Aria just cried and cried.

Regina was running out of ideas, it was beginning to get to much for her and she wasn't sure what else she could do to help Aria. She cradled her in her arms, rocking her as she paced up and down the living room. "Shh. Please Aria stop crying." Regina said softly. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Her emotions were getting the better of her but it had been a long horrible day. The worst in a while and she wasn't sure if she could handle it anymore. "Aria please stop crying." Regina said in a more desperate tone.

But little Aria continued to cry and cry, her cries getting louder and louder. She wasn't stopping for anything and all Regina wanted was to know why her little girl felt this way, what she could do to help her little girl. She sat on the sofa, pulling her blouse to the side a little and tried to feed Aria again but she wasn't up for feeding. That wasn't what she wanted once again. Regina fixed herself and then pushed herself up from the sofa, still cradling Aria in her arms.

"Aria I don't know what you want from me." Regina said, tears spilling down onto her cheeks. "I don't know what you want me to do. I want to help you but I don't know how to help you." A sob left her mouth as she continued to rock the crying baby in her arms.

It was then that Emma walked into the house with Henry trailing behind her. The crying of Aria ringing through the house. "Wow she is still going." Henry said as he kicked his shoes off and threw his bag down. "I am sure that's the noise she was making when we left this morning."

"Yea, sure sounds like it." Emma said as she pulled off her leather jacket and hung it up on the stand. "Come on let's go see." She said placing her hand on his back. They walked up the couple of steps to the foyer and over to the sounds of crying taking them to the living room to see Regina pacing up and down, rocking Aria in her arms. Emma looked a little closer to see Regina had tears falling down her cheeks. "Hey what's going on? Are you okay?" Emma asked as she walked a little further into the room and over to Regina.

"No. No I'm not okay." Regina said as she spun around to look at Emma. She walked over to her and passed Aria over to her. "Take Aria." She said firmly before darting passed Emma and Henry and quickly leaving the living room and running up the stairs.

Both Emma and Henry turned to watch Regina leaving the room, confused looks on their faces, not sure what was or had been going on. Emma then looked down at Aria who was still going strong letting her other mother and her brother know that she wasn't happy about something. Emma sighed and she motioned for Henry to take Aria. "Here hold Aria and see if you can get her to calm down. I will go and see what's going on with your mom okay?" Emma said handing Aria to Henry.

"Okay." Henry said nodding his head.

Emma turned on her heel and walked out of the room, heading up the stairs two at a time. Walking down the hall towards her and Regina's room she could hear crying and she wondered what had happened since they had gone to work and school. She gently knocked on the door and pushed it open peering in to see Regina lying on the bed, her back to the door and her shoulders moving with her sobbing. Emma walked into the room and walked around the bed, climbing on and lying down, looking at Regina. "Regina what's happened?" Emma asked softly. She reached out and placed her hand on Regina's upper arm, moving her finger over Regina's soft skin. "Talk to me Regina. What's wrong?"

Regina hiccuped as her sobbing slowed down. She sniffled a little, her eyes moving to look up at Emma. "I-I can't..." Regina started but a sob broke through. She took a moment to calm herself. Taking a deep breath. "I'm a horrible mother..." She whispered out, tears still falling down her cheeks.

"What? Regina that's not true. You are a wonderful mother." Emma said shuffling a little closer to Regina.

"No...I'm not." Regina whispered back. "I can't even work out what is wrong with Aria. She has been crying all day and I don't know what is wrong with her. I haven't been able to help her. All I want to do is help her and I can't." Regina said.

"Regina..." Emma said softly. She reached over and gently pulled Regina closer to her letting Regina rest her head on her chest and wrapping her arms around Regina in a comforting way. "Not being able to figure out what is wrong with Aria does not make you a bad mother. She is only four weeks old Regina. She can't tell you what is wrong. Her only way of communicating is through crying just now."

"I know but she has cried all day and...I tried everything. I tried feeding her, I changed her, i put her down to sleep, I held her, rocked her...I tried everything and nothing worked. What if..." Regina said and trailed off at the end.

"What if?" Emma questioned.

"What if she doesn't like me? What if she has figured out who I really am?" Regina asked, tears still slipping down her cheeks.

"Regina..." Emma said pulling away slightly and making Regina look at her. "Firstly Aria loves you. Your her mother. And secondly she already knows who you really are and it is not the Evil Queen if that is what you are getting it." Regina sniffled a little, her eyes moving down to look anywhere but at Emma. "Thats the past Regina and it was not who you really are. People helped to turn you into the person..."

"I can't blame anyone but myself for what I have done in the past." Regina said.

"Perhaps but people played a part in what happened to you and what you did. You may have had a part but others did to. You are not the Evil Queen and you never truly were. You are Regina Mils, my beautiful wife, a loving mother to Henry and Aria and the most amazing person I have ever met." Emma said placing her hand on Regina's cheek and making her lock eyes with her again.

Regina sniffed. "Why couldn't I calm Aria down today then?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders a little. "Perhaps she was just in a bad mood today..."

"Well if she was then it was probably my fault." Regina sighed.

"Why would it have been your fault?" Emma asked.

"Today...was a bad day..." Regina said quietly.

Emma picked up on that straight away. When Regina said it was a bad day it wasn't because Aria had spent the day crying and she couldn't calm her down, it meant something else completely different. "Why didn't you say something this morning? Regina you know if you have a bad day you don't have to deal with it on your own. I can help you."

"I know I just..." Regina sighed. "I don't know. I wanted to deal with it. I didn't want to feel that way again. It has been a while since my last..."

"Your last bad day." Emma finished and Regina nodded her head.

"And I thought maybe I could deal with it but then Aria wasn't happy and maybe that was because of me. Maybe she picked up on the fact I wasn't happy and then it made her unhappy. It's my fault she has been so upset all day." Regina said tears welling up in her eyes. "Before you came home...just before...I could feel myself getting frustrated with her...angry with her...She had spent all day just screaming and I just wanted her to stop. My head has been pounding all day and she just wouldn't stop crying."

Emma hated seeing Regina like this. All she wanted was to make Regina all better, make her happy. "Regina it's not unusal for mothers to go through this. I had a friend years ago that suffered from postnatal depression when she had her child and she said that was how she felt. She wanted to help her child but she couldn't and she couldn't stand the crying and she could feel herself getting frustrated."

"I don't have postnatal depression." Regina said pulling away from Emma and sitting up on the bed. "I am not depressed!"

Emma pushed herself up. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Regina I am not saying you have postnatal depression." Emma said softly but it seemed like Regina wasn't listening.

"I just told you that it has been a while since my last bad day and now to jump onto me being depressed again. Well i'm not. I'm fine. I'm just having a bad day." Regina said.

"Regina..." Emma said firmly, taking Regina's hands in hers and making her look at her. "I never said you have postnatal depression. I was telling you about a friend who had it and said she experienced similar feelings like you did today." Emma said. "And even if you did have postnatal depression it would not be anything to feel ashamed about."

Regina bit her lip and loked down at the bed spread. "I looked into it..."

"What?" Emma asked.

"Postnatal depression. I got scared. I read that because I had been depressed before I have a likely chance of..." Regina trailed off and sighed. "I-I don't want to go back to that. I don't want to feel like that again. Be in that darkness, to feel so lonely again. Then I read that i could struggle to bond with Aria and it scared me even more to think that maybe I couldn't love her."

"Regina...when did you look all this up?" Emma asked.

"A couple of weeks before Aria arrived." Regina said. "I just wanted to prepare myself. I was making sure I had everything for the baby and then I started looking at things online and came across that and..." Regina shrugged. "I have tried so hard to make sure I have bonded with Aria but what if I haven't and thats why she has been so upset all day?"

"Regina...you have bonded with Aria. Anyone can see how much you love her and she feels happy with you. Babies have bad days just like adults do and yea maybe she picked up on you having a bad day and perhaps that upset her but maybe it was because she didn't like that her mommy was upset. Maybe she wanted to help you but didn't know how." Emma said. "If you are worried about having postnatal depression why don't you talk with Archie...see what he thinks? You still have your medication don't you?" Regina nodded her head. "Maybe you need different medication or something. I don't know but I want you to know...which you should already know...that I am here for you. Whenever you need me. If you ned to talk and I am at work then you just phone me and I will be right back here to help you okay? I will drop everything to help you okay?"

Regina nodded her head again and gave Emma a small smile. "Thank you Emma."

"Anytime. I love you Regina." Emma said cupping Regina's face in her hands. She then leaned over and pressed her lips against Regina's . Pulling away a little she rested her forehead against Regina's.

"I love you too Emma." Regina whispered back.

* * *

A little while later Regina and Emma walked back down stairs and into the livingroom where Henry had Aria resting on his lap, his arms gently resting on her to keep her safe and Harry Potter on the TV. "You see Aria Harry is the boy who lived so he is special. He needs to defeat Voldomort." Regina smiled as she watched Henry with a now quiet Aria. She let go of Emma's hand and walked in alerting Henry to her prescence. He smiled up at her. "Just giving her some knowledge."

"Never to early to start." Regina replied. She reached down and lifted Aria carefully from Henry, cradling her in her arms and placing a soft kiss on top of her head. "I love you my darling." Regina whispered.

Emma came up behind Regina, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. "See she knows you." Emma smiled.

Regina smiled too, her eyes never leaving Aria who was now sleeping soundly in her arms. It had been a bad day but it seemed things were only going to get better.

* * *

 _ **For those of you that watch Pretty Little Liars you will recognise where I got the name for little baby Swan Mills, What do you think? I loved the name Aria when I heard it on PLL, so unusual I think.**_

 _ **Also do you think I should stick with ending the story with little Aria as a baby or should I end it with another time jump and skip onto Aria being a little older? What's your thoughts guys?**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Okay so here is the last chapter to this story. I want to thank everyone who has read this story. I have loved writing it and thank you for favouriting, following and reviewing. I hope you enjoy the ending.**_

 _ **Also a little promotion, I have started a new story about Regina having Alzheimer's if you fancy checking it out - s/11945731/1/Finding-the-Forgetful**_

 _ **Thank you again!**_

* * *

Two years later...

Regina darted about the house, slight panic showing on her face. It was bath time and she had been trying to convince Aria to get into the bath for at least fifteen minutes. After chasing her around for five of those minutes Aria had managed to disappear, hiding somewhere in the house (at least Regina hoped she was still in the house.) and Regina had no clue where the little toddler had gone to.

Aria was now a michevious two year old. Full of the terrible twos, cheeky, sassy, everything like Regina but had taken after Emma for her more 'tomboy' like ways it had seemed and as weird as it seemed she had deep green eyes that reminded Regina so much of Emma. Apart from that she was just a mini Regina.

"Aria?" Regina called as she walked into the livingroom. Her eyes landed on Henry who was lounging on the sofa. "Henry have you seen your sister?" Regina asked as she looked around the livingroom, checking under the coffee table as well as the piano.

Henry shook his head. He looked over to see Regina crouched on the floor looking under the piano. "Still haven't caught her for her bath then?" He smirked a little. Aria ran rings around his mother. He had expected Regina to be the stricter one out of herself and Emma but it turned out to be the other way around. Emma the strict one and Regina the soft one. That always made him smile.

"Nope." Regina sighed as she pushed herself up. "I had been chasing her through the house but then she knocked a vase over, which I only just managed to catch in time, and when i turned back to get her she was gone." Regina explained. "You don;t happen to know what her favourite hiding place is at the moment?"

"I do...but it will cost you..." Henry said with a smile. Regina crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at her son. "Okay...I'll give you this one for free..."

"You sound like Gold." Regina smirked.

"Ha Ha! She likes to hide in your wardrobe. It's massive and plenty small places to hide." Henry revealed.

"That little minx." Regina muttered as she turned on her heel and began to walk out of the living room. "Thank you Henry." She called back. She walked up the stairs and down towards her and Emma's room. Pushing the door open she walked in and looked over to the walk in wardrobe to see indeed the door was slightly ajar. She quietly walked over to the wardrobe. "I'm sure I saw a little girl by the name of Aria come in here..." Regina started. She could hear giggling from inside the wardrobe and she couldn't help but smile. She opened the door and walked, turning on the light. "Where could she be hiding?" More giggling brought her attention over to her side of the wardrobe and to her dresses. She walked over, moving the dresses to the side to see Aria behind them covering her eyes. "Got you my little monkey!" Regina said reaching forward and lifting Aria up quickly before she could even think about running away from her.

"I no monkey mommy." Aria said as she moved her hands away from her eyes and looked at Regina. "I girl like you and mama."

Regina laughed a little. She leaned over and kissed Aria's cheek. "That's right my darling. Now come on it's time for your bath."

"No mommy." Aria said as she squirmed in Regina's arms. "I no wanna go in bath."

"Aria sweetheart you need to go in the bath. We have had a very busy day today." Regina said as she held onto Aria tightly and walked out of the bedroom.

"I no like bath time." Aria mumbled, a frown appearing on her face.

"Why don't you like bathtime?" Regina asked as they entered the bathroom.

"It mean bedtime soon. No wanna go to bed." Aria said. "Bedtime boring."

Regina smiled a little and she placed Aria down on the floor, making sure to keep a hold of her to stop her from running off. "Well it's a good thing we aren't going to bed straight after bathtime then isn't it?"

"We not?" Aria asked.

Regina shool her head as she crouched down and started to help Aria undress. "No. Remember I said since it is Friday you could stay up a little later and wait on mama coming home and then we could both tuck you into bed."

"Oh...I member..." Aria said nodding her head a little. "I have choc'late milk?" She asked hopefully.

"No. You can have normal milk." Regina replied as she lifted Aria up and placed her into the bath.

"Toast?" Aria questioned, big wide eyes looking up at Regina. "Supper time after bathtime mommy. Member?"

Regina breathed out a laugh. "Yes I remember. You can have some toast after bathtime."

"Cheese on top?" Aria asked.

"I'll think about it." Regina smirked. She knew she would give Aria exactly what she wanted, she was terrible for it. Too soft with her but she couldn't help it.

"Mommy I want a Lion." Aria said as Regina started to wash her hair.

"A lion? I'm not so sure about that one Aria." Regina replied.

"Why mommy? Lion be good pet." Aria said.

"Well it might be a little dangerous to have a lion as a pet sweetheart." Regina said.

"Oh..." Aria sighed. "What about...a duck?"

"I;m not sure about that either sweetheart. Ducks live in the park." Regina answered.

"What about a spider?" Aria asked. Aria was scared of nothing. Spiders didn't bother her quite like they had and still do bother Henry.

"I don't think Henry would like that." Regina laughed a little.

"Henry silly. Spider no scary. Incy wincy spider a good spider." Aria said. "incy wincy spider climb up spout. Down came ran and wash incy out. Out came sun and dried up all rain. Incy wincy spider climb up spout again." Aria sang as she done the actions with her hands.

"That was very good Aria." Regina smiled. "Your good at that song."

"So i get spider?" Aria asked hopefully.

"I'm still going to say no to that Aria." Regina said.

"Aww." Aria sighed. "What about...bunny?"

"A bunny? Thats more like a pet yes." Regina said.

"Can I get one?" Aria asked. "I want a bunny."

"I'm not sure sweetheart. We will have to ask mama." Regina said. "If we got a bunny you would have to be a big girl and help to look after the bunny."

"I will mommy. I a big girl now." Aria said looking up at Regina. "I two..." Aria said holding up her fingers. She looked at them and then up at Regina as if to ask for confirmation that she was holding up the right number of fingers.

Regina nodded and stood to grab a towel. "You are a big girl sweetheart, Now come on uo you get so we can get you dried off."

Aria stood up and Regina wrapped the towel around her and lifted her out of the bath. She helped to dry her off and then helped her into her pyjamas. "I watch cartoons mommy?" Aria asked.

"Go ask Henry if he is finished watching the tv and I will sort out your supper." Regina said.

"Okay mommy." Aria called as she ran off. She was like a whirlwind, never slow, always on the go. Regina smiled as she watched her run off and she cleaned up the bathroom before heading downstairs and into the kitchen to prepare a small supper for Aria. As she was doing so she heard the front door open and shut as well as Aria shoutiung 'Mama' at the top of her voice.

Emma soon appeared with Aria in her arms giving Regina a smile. "So this rascal said you said she could have a bunny?" Emma said raising an eyebrow at Regina and smirking a little.

"No...I said we would ask you before we made a decsion.." Regina said buttering the toast for Aria. "Your toast is ready sweetheart."

"Where cheese?" Aria asked as she looked down at the toast.

"We are out of cheese I'm afraid." Regina said with an apologetic look on her face.

"Oh...okay...maybe next time." Aria said making both Regina and Emma laugh a little. "I eat and watch cartoons?"

"Go on then." Regina said. Emma placed Aria down on the floor. "Can you take the plate through yourself?" Regina asked.

Aria nodded taking the plate from her mother. "I big girl mommy." She said as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

Emma walked over to Regina and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her close to her and place a soft kiss to her lips. "Hi." She said softly.

"Hi." Regina smiled. "How was your day?"

"Busy, long and boring without you guys there." Emma huffed.

"Aw dear...well it's over now." Regina laughed a little.

"Thank god." Emma laughed. "So are you really thinking of getting her a rabbit?"

Regina shrugged her shoulders a little. "I don't know. She really wants a pet and it might be good for her. Show her some responsability early on."

"Or it will be all shiny and new for a couple of weeks and then she will get bored and we will end up cleaning up after it?" Emma said.

"Possibly but she might surprise you." Regina said.

"I'm not so sure." Emma said. "But if you want to get her one then I will go for it."

"Really?" Regina smiled.

"Yea." Emma smiled back leaning in and kissing her again.

* * *

At the weekends Regina and Emma liked to do things with Aria. She was a child that needed to be kept busy and sitting in the house was never really an option for them. So they headed out to the park to let Aria run around and to hopefully let off some of that energy that she seemed to constantly have.

"Mommy you push me on swing." Aria squealed jumping up and down as she tugged on Regina's hand.

"Don't you want mama to do it sweetheart? She is much stronger than me." Regina said

The little girl shook her head, frown firmly placed on her face, looking so much like her brunette mother that Emma couldn't help but smirk as she watched them. "No. You." Aria said firmly pointing at Regina. "Mama help me on there after." She said pointing to the rather large climbing frame. She then reached forward and grabbed Regina's hand in hers and dragged her over to the swings.

"Oh...I'm not sure about that climbing frame Aria..." Regina started. She was fiercely protective of her young daughter, almost to the point that Emma was sure one of these days Aria would be strolling out of the house literally wrapped up in cotton wool. It made Emma wonder if Regina was exactly that same with Henry.

"Why mommy?" Aria asked as she tried to climb up onto the swing but struggling slightly with her smaller size.

Regina stepped forward and helped Aria up onto the swing, telling her to hold on tight to the chains as she walked around behind her and started to gently push. "Well it is awfully high Aria."

"Yea! I wanna climb up to the sky. Like Jack!" She squealed as she swung her legs a little.

"Jack?" Emma frowned and looked to Regina for more information.

"Jack and the beanstalk." Regina said. "We read it last night before bed."

"Ah yea." Emma nodded wondering to herself how she didn't figure that out before.

"Faster mommy! Higher!" Aria squealed.

Regina smiled and she done as Aria said, although making sure not to push her too high that she might fall. It only took five minutes before the young toddler was scrambling to try get off the still moving swing, wanting to move onto the next thing. "Hold on Aria. You need to wait until mommy stops the swing." Emma said. She helped Regina stop the swing and then Aria jumped off and ran over to the climbing frame, her mothers following behind her.

"I'm really not sure about her climbing that. Why cant she just try the smaller one?" Regina sighed.

"Because she is too adventerous for her own good." Emma laughed. "Don't worry she will be fine. I will go help her."

"Just please don't let her get to high." Regina said a worried look on her face as she watched Aria trying to climb already.

"Don't worry." Emma repeated and she quickly jogged over to the climbing frame.

Regina stood back and watched as Emma carefully helped Aria climb on the large climbing frame. She winced a couple of times when Aria slipped but her heart settled as Emma was right behind her, catching her before she fell to the ground. She tried to take a step back and not coddle Aria too much but she found such a thing hard. She jsut didn't want to see her beautiful little girl hurt. Regina was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Aria calling to her.

"Mommy! Mommy look at me! I up high!" She squealed waving down at her, holding on tightly with one hand seemingly scared of nothing. Regina envied that about her daughter.

"I see you sweetheart." Regina smiled.

"Mama up high too!" Aria called as Emma stopped beside her.

"So I see." Regina replied. She watched Emma and Aria, looking out over the park and talking. She smiled as she watched the pair and she felt a warmth run through her, right to her heart. This was the family she had wanted for so long. It was the family that she had craved. Unconditional love. She had found it and she never wanted to let it go. Someone had saved her. Or rather not just someone, but her family.


End file.
